A Massachusetts woman gave birth to her first child less than 24 hours after escaping a house fire that destroyed the nursery she and her husband prepared, with fire officials pointing to an electric vehicle as the likely cause of the blaze that consumed two homes.

Fire Destroys Homes Hours Before Birth

The fire erupted on River Road in Winthrop around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, engulfing two homes in flames. Chiara Keenan, who lived on the first floor of one of the affected homes, was transported to a local hospital along with another resident. She went into labor following the fire and delivered her daughter, Giannina Grace Keenan, at 9:25 a.m. Monday morning.

Winthrop Fire Chief Stephen Calandra confirmed both structures are total losses. Chiara’s father, Maurizio Marcoccio, who owns the home, said the couple had carefully prepared a nursery for their first child. “They did such a good job with the nursery and all that,” Marcoccio told reporters. “They wanted to bring the baby to a special place. It hurts me for them, because it was going to be their special moment with their first child.”

Electric Vehicle Identified as Probable Cause

Fire officials believe an electric vehicle parked in a driveway near the homes sparked the blaze, though an official determination awaits completion of the investigation. Chief Calandra described the unique challenges electric vehicle fires present to firefighters. “Electric car, once that gets going, put water on it, doesn’t do anything,” Calandra explained, noting these fires can require hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to extinguish compared to standard house fires.

The fire chief called on electric vehicle manufacturers to develop effective methods for extinguishing fires involving their products. “That’s on them,” Calandra stated, emphasizing the difficulty first responders face when confronting electric vehicle fires that prove harder to control than traditional structure fires.

Community Response and Recovery

No injuries were reported from the fire. Winthrop Firefighters 1070 released a statement expressing support for the affected families and recognizing the dedication of firefighters and mutual aid partners who responded. “We recognize the tremendous loss and disruption that a fire can cause, and we extend our heartfelt support to all those impacted,” the department stated. The new parents now face rebuilding their lives while caring for their newborn daughter.