PEPPERELL — On Saturday, May 2, 2026, at approximately 2:50 a.m., the Pepperell Fire Department responded to a mobile home at 9 Harper Way in Maple Leaf Village, a 55-and-older retirement community, after a neighbor called 911.
Firefighters could see heavy fire as they approached the scene and found the mobile home engulfed in flames, according to Pepperell Deputy Fire Chief John Rose, Pepperell Police Chief Todd Blain, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan.
Firefighters immediately entered the home but could not locate any occupants. They attacked the fire and later found the sole resident, identified only as an older adult, deceased inside.
One dog also died in the fire.
“On behalf of the Pepperell Fire Department, I want to express our condolences to the family that lost a loved one,” Deputy Chief Rose said. “This is a sad day for them and our community.”
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.
The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation by the Pepperell Fire Department, Pepperell Police Department, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office and State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.
The Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit is assisting with the investigation.
