Officials said the cause of the early Monday blaze remained under investigation.
BELLINGHAM, MA — Two sisters died early Monday after firefighters pulled them from a burning home on Temi Road in Bellingham, where flames had broken through the roof before crews arrived, fire officials said.
The deaths left investigators working through a damaged house and an incomplete timeline as they tried to learn where the fire started, how long it burned and whether smoke alarms were working. The sisters’ names and ages had not been released by Monday morning. The State Fire Marshal’s Office joined Bellingham firefighters in the investigation.
Firefighters were called to the home about 12:40 a.m. Monday after several 911 calls reported a building fire on Temi Road, a residential street in a neighborhood off Route 126. Bellingham Fire Chief Bill Miller said crews arrived to find heavy fire at the back of the house and flames coming through the roof. Reports from the scene said two people were trapped inside. “The second company made an aggressive attack through the front door,” Miller said. “They were aggressively searching.” Firefighters found two women inside and removed them from the burning home.
The women were taken to Milford Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead, officials said. Miller said the two victims were sisters. A cat also died in the fire, according to officials. No other injuries were immediately reported. Fire crews knocked down the fire in about 20 minutes, but the home was left badly damaged. Officials had not said Monday morning whether anyone else lived in the home or whether anyone escaped before firefighters arrived. The cause of the fire had not been determined.
Miller said the size of the fire when crews arrived suggested it may have been burning before neighbors saw flames and called 911. He said investigators were looking at whether there were working smoke detectors inside the home. The fire chief did not say where in the house the fire began. Officials also had not released details on the sisters’ relationship to the property, whether they were found on the same floor or whether crews faced blocked access inside the house.
The investigation was being handled by Bellingham fire officials with help from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which commonly assists local departments after fatal fires in Massachusetts. Investigators were expected to examine the burn pattern, possible ignition sources, electrical systems and witness accounts from people who saw the fire before crews arrived. No criminal finding had been announced, and officials did not call the fire suspicious Monday morning.
The scene drew firefighters, investigators and neighbors to Temi Road before sunrise as crews worked around the damaged home. Miller described a fast and dangerous rescue attempt as firefighters entered through the front door while flames pushed through other parts of the structure. The fire chief said the amount of fire showing when he arrived made it likely the blaze had been active for some time. He said a neighbor may not have seen it until it broke free from the house.
The sisters had not been publicly identified as of Monday morning. Officials said the investigation into the origin and cause of the fire remained active, with no final report released.
Author note: Last updated June 15, 2026.