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Jacqueline "Jackie" Doherty died in the 92 Fern Street blaze in Athol that began just before 10 a.m., the State Fire Marshal's Office said. A second person in the home was taken to an area hospital and is recovering from their wounds. Their name and the extent of their injuries were not released.
Dan Plourde, a friend of Jackie's, said she was a brilliant woman who worked at Schepens Eye Research Institute. She was very involved with her church, St. Francis of Assisi, and loved animals and gardening.
Most importantly, Plourde said, she was kind.
"She was the type of person who would give anything she had to help someone else," he said in a message to Daily Voice.
Several people posted memorials to her online. Her neighbors said she was the first person to introduce herself to them when they moved into her neighborhood. They said she was quick to quietly offer her help when someone was in need.
Fire investigators said the blaze began on a gas stove. The knobs were slightly turned on when crews were able to reach it in the rubble.
Fire officials said the fire was so intense that it collapsed the home and delayed investigators' work in determining the cause of the blaze. Heavy equipment was brought in to move large pieces of the house to allow them to get to the fire's origin.
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