Melloing Out

"A fire that killed a 61-year-old man in Fall River Sunday was caused by smoking, officials said Wednesday. “The victim ignited himself while smoking a cigar and using a refillable lighter that used lighter fluid,” the state fire marshal’s office said. The victim, Joseph Mello, lived on the third floor a three-family home on Eastern Avenue. Mello’s relatives on the first-floor escaped safely. Investigators found no smoke alarms in Mello’s apartment. The lack of working smoke alarms has led to seven fire-related deaths in the past three weeks, said Acting State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey."