One Dead In Two-Alarm House Fire In Beverly

One person died in a two-alarm fire Thursday morning in Beverly in a first-floor apartment located at 7 – 9 Highland Terrace, a two-apartment building. Clark Young, 78, was unable to get out of get out of his residence in time.

Beverly Police Dept. received a call about a fire at 9 Highland Terrace on Thursday morning after 7 a.m. Beverly Police were quick to arrive on the scene, two minutes after the call was placed the officers reported heavy smoke in the home.

Officers Steven Cecchini and Shawn Desmond entered the residence and found five people attempting to exit the building. Cecchini carried an elderly woman to safety, while Desmond helped the second floor occupants out of the burning building. Both officers reentered the home a second time, and Cecchini carried another elderly resident to safety, where he was further assisted by Officer David Grimes.

As the fire grew stronger and the smoke inside the home increased, the officers were unable to reenter the home a third time to help another elderly resident trapped inside.

The Beverly Fire Dept. arrived on the scene at this point, but was also unable to enter the home due to the increasing smoke and fire.

Once the officers and firefighters were able to enter the home, Young was found in his apartment unconscious. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“I got a phone call from my mom from a cell phone, from somebody else’s phone. She was outside. She tried to go back in to get my dad, but the door locked behind her, so she couldn’t get in to get him or the dogs,” Melissa Anderson told reporters.

Photo courtesy of WHDH 7 News