Bodies of mother, child recovered from Uxbridge fire

UXBRIDGE, Mass. (WHDH) -- The bodies of a mother and her 6-year-old daughter were recovered after fierce flames destroyed a multi-family home in Uxbridge.

Crews responded to the East Hartford Avenue building late Monday night. The fire reportedly started on the first floor and raced up the building.

The flames swallowed up the entire building. The fire killed Suzanne Donovan and her 6-year-old daughter, Fina, who lived on the first floor.

The mother and daughter were originally reported missing after the fire. The body of the 6-year-old was discovered in a bedroom earlier in the day on Tuesday, and the mother's was found in another room at about 5:30 p.m.

The mother and daughter lived just below Justin Hutchinson, who tried to save them.

“I ran downstairs and ran out the front door and noticed that the living room was on fire. I got my family out, my friends -- we ran out back, we kicked in her door, tried going in her house,” said Hutchinson.

Thick smoke and the heat from the fire made it difficult for firefighters to enter the building.

“As I was coming downstairs a second time, the entire building was just full of smoke. You couldn't see nothing. Then shortly after that, parts of the floor started giving away," said Chris Evans, who also escaped the flames.

Windows shattered from the heat and glass and debris flew everywhere as the 100-year-old wooden structure crackled. By the time the fire was out, heavy equipment began moving debris while firefighters were given the delicate task of finding the victims.

“So the firefighters and the troopers assigned to the fire marshal’s office are literally going piece by piece, de-layering the building and taking off the upper levels of the building to get to the ground floor,” said State Fire Marshal Steven Coan.

By the time help arrived flames had already surrounded the home. Water pressure was also an issue.

“Couldn't get enough water pressure to knock it down but I don't think that mattered because the fire was out of control," said Richard Baldwin.

By late Tuesday afternoon, the charred remains were still smoking. Search and rescue was underway and the remaining residents wondered how this could have happened.

"[Smoke detectors didn’t go off in the building] nothing at all, no warning at all. If we didn't see the smoke that would have been it,” Evans said.

The mother worked nearby as a manager at a day spa. Her coworkers said she was a loving mother and a hard worker.