One month after a five-alarm blaze claimed the life of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy, the cause of that fire remains under investigation.
Officials have said little about the cause of the fire in the weeks since the tragedy.
Flames broke out around 4 a.m. on Dec. 9 at 7 Lowell St. As firefighters battled the fire, Roy became trapped on the second floor of the three-story, six-unit building.
Although Roy was pulled out of the building, he succumbed to his injuries.
The office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr., the state fire marshal’s office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the fire and Roy’s death.
Asked about the cause of the fire and whether it appears suspicious, a spokesman for Early’s office said via email Tuesday only that “the fire and death remain under investigation.”
A spokesman for ATF said, via email, “there are no new updates at this time and the investigation is ongoing.”
Roy, a 36-year-old Shrewsbury resident, had been a Worcester firefighter for two-and-a-half years and was assigned to Ladder 4 at the Webster Square Fire Station.
As of Tuesday, records at City Hall list the cause of Roy’s death as “pending."
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is also investigating the fire and Roy’s death. The agency planned to begin its initial examination in January.
A spokeswoman for the agency did not immediately respond to a message Tuesday seeking an update on the status of the investigation.
It is unclear how long it will take the agency to complete the investigation and publish a report. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health program is intended to identify factors that contribute to firefighter deaths and provide findings and recommendations in public reports but does not enforce compliance with regulations or assess culpability.
The Worcester Firefighters Local 1009 has started a memorial fund to assist Roy’s family, especially his 9-year-old daughter, Ava.
As of late December, the Ava Roy Fund has raised more than $362,000, with donations continuing to come in on a daily basis.
Anyone who wants to donate to the fund can do so online or mail checks payable to the “AVA ROY FUND” directly to the Worcester Fire Department Credit Union at 34 Glennie St., Worcester, Mass., 01605.
Roy’s death came during a grueling week, and month, for the Worcester Fire Department.
Dec. 8, a day before the fatal fire that killed Roy, marks the anniversary of the 2011 blaze that claimed the life of Firefighter Jon D. Davies Sr.
Davies died while battling a fire inside an Arlington Street three-decker.
And Dec. 3 is the anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire, a 1999 blaze that cost six firefighters their lives.
Remembered as the “Worcester Six,” the firefighters who perished were Lt. Thomas Spencer, Lt. Timothy Jackson Sr., Lt. James Lyons III and Firefighters Jeremiah Lucey, Paul Brotherton and Joseph McGuirk.
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