An elderly mother and her son were killed in a fire that broke out in their Somerville home yesterday.
Neighbors described a gruesome scene as fire crews rushed the victims to ambulances.
“His arm was hanging off of the stretcher, and his face was bleeding and burnt. It was really scary,” said Alexis Copeland.
Neighbors identified the victims as Dorina and Louis Correia, but officials would not confirm their identities nor comment on the cause of the fire.
A neighbor reported the fire just before 12:30 p.m. Emergency crews that arrived to 65 Fairfax St. immediately called for ambulances because they had reports of people trapped, Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher said.
Once inside, crews found the elderly woman and her son on the second floor of the two-story, blue home.
About an hour after the fire was reported, a woman quickly walked past the police tape repeating: “Oh my God. My mother.” She was escorted away from the home by officials.
Firefighters from Boston, Chelsea and Cambridge helped battle the flames. The commotion brought out dozens of residents.
“It’s awful,” said neighbor Christine Coakley.
Two dogs made it safely out of the home, and Kelleher said they were looking for a third.
Battling elements
Besides the flames, firefighters had to battle the cold, ice and snow as well.
Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher said crews had difficulty working around the large snowbanks, setting up ladders and locating fire hydrants.
“We had a little problem finding some of them,” Kelleher said. He said it should serve as a reminder to residents to help fire crews by shoveling out their hydrants after a storm.
Public works crews also arrived on scene to help spread sand as the water used to fight the fire quickly froze on the roads and sidewalks.
