Authorities investigate cause of Arlington fire that killed one

A fire at an Arlington condo complex killed one this morning, according to authorities.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m. at the Brookside Condominium Complex at 1 Arizona Terrace, located near the intersection of Mystic Valley Parkway and Rte 16.

The blaze damaged or destroyed 36 condo units and a handful of cars in the adjacent parking lot. It’s unclear how many people were displaced by the fire or what sparked the blaze.

The identity of the dead has not been released as authorities are awaiting notification of next of kin.

“Residents were woken up abruptly,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan. “Many of them heard pounding on their doors and cries to ‘get out quickly.’ This is still an active investigation with a great deal of debris for investigators to comb through as they seek to determine exactly what happened early this morning.”

State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said investigators are in the middle of determining where the fire started and how it was started.

Arlington Fire Chief Robert Jefferson said “Despite a quick response and aggressive attack by firefighters, this fire sadly resulted in a loss of life.”