Officials: Fatal Fire May Have Been Intentionally Set

BOSTON -- A fire in South Boston that killed a man and his wife may have been intentionally set, officials said Wednesday.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that Arvette Clancy, 46, and her husband, Peter, 47, were killed in the Emerson Street fire Monday night. The couple is survived by their three children who are 15, 18 and 21 years old.

Fire investigators said that the seven-alarm fire most likely sparked in the couple's kitchen. Homicide detectives were probing if someone set the fire on purpose.

"One of the ladies said that she saw kids running out of there that night," one resident said.

"They are looking at the stove. They are looking at electrical. They are looking at -- were there candles? Did the family smoke? All those kinds of things. Was it set would be one of the things that they look at," Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.

Neighbors said that vandals targeted the family before. Police were called in a number of times to respond to broken windows.

"We've had police run through the yard after kids," resident Katie McAuliffe said.

Since the fire, residents have been ordered to stay out of her apartment. Officials are concerned that the building may collapse.

"It is sad because everyone lost everything. Everything is gone," McAuliffe said.

Nineteen families were driven out of their homes by that intense fire. The Red Cross has quickly moved in to help, giving the victims clothing, food and cash. The emergency agency has also arranged temporary housing for the victims.

Officials said the Red Cross budget for helping fire victims is quickly running low because of several recent fires that struck during December.