87-year-old woman identified as victim of fatal Rockland fire

An 87-year-old woman has been identified as the victim of a fatal three-alarm fire in Rockland earlier this month, the fire department announced Friday.

Martha Murphy was found unconscious inside a home at 72 Vernon St. when firefighters responded to the scene in the early hours of Friday, June 21, for a reported fire.

Crews saw smoke and intense fire coming from the rear of the two-story single-family home. One person had already managed to escape while another, later identified as Murphy, was still inside.

Firefighters performed CPR at the scene before Murphy was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Crews, including those from several nearby towns, battled the blaze for about an hour before extinguishing it, the department said.

Investigators found that an air conditioner and other electrical appliances appeared to have been plugged into a power strip in the back right corner of the home, causing the fire.

Rockland Fire Chief Scott Duffey and State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said the electrical current drawn by heavy appliances that are not directly plugged into an outlet can overload an extension cord or a power strip, causing a fire.

The origin and cause of the fire was investigated by the Rockland Fire Department, Rockland Police Department, State Police investigators assigned to the Fire Marshal's Office state and state police assigned to the Plymouth County Prosecutor's Office, the Department of Fire Services said.

They were supported by the Fire Department's Code Compliance and Enforcement Unit.