Cord tied in knot burns women's shelter

Fire displaces women living at secret shelter

Residents' hopes dashed as officials ponder rebuilding and lost services

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By John R. Ellement and April Yee, Globe Correspondent | August 10, 2007

Nine months pregnant and a victim of domestic abuse, Shanele had turned to the Elizabeth Stone House because it was the only place where she could feel safe. Just last week, she moved into the house, which ran a secret shelter for battered women.

But on Tuesday, Shanele was once again looking for a safe place to stay, after a two-alarm fire consumed the top floor of the Jamaica Plain three-decker. The fire forced the shelter to close and left Shanele and six other women and their six children grappling with the destruction of a refuge for people with nowhere else to turn.

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Troop said the Stone House is one of 32 emergency shelters for domestic violence victims in the state, and that there is no fast way to replace the beds lost by the fire. Officials estimated the damage at $175,000.

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In Erika's old room, where fire officials said the blaze originated, chunks of plaster and gray soot covered the floor. Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said an electrical cord tied into a knot had overheated, sparking the fire that spread to the rear porch.

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My power strip with smoke detecting shutoff can prevent these kinds of fires because once the cord starts smoldering the power strip can power off whatever is drawing electricity and causing the overheating condition.