Officials Determine Stoughton's Jake Hoffman Died from Smoke Inhalation
UMass Amherst student Jake Hoffman, 21, of Stoughton, died in a fire the morning of Jan. 21 at an off-campus apartment building in Amherst.
Stoughton's Jake Hoffman died from smoke inhalation, Amherst Fire Chief W. Tim Nelson told The Republican of Springfield on Tuesday.
Hoffman, 21, of Stoughton, was identified as the UMass Amherst college student who died in an early morning fire in an off-campus apartment building in Amherst Jan. 21. He was the lone victim.
The cause of the blaze, which displaced more than 30 people, including more than 20 UMass Amherst students, is still under investigation, The Republican reported March 19. The fire started in Hoffman's unit.
A 2009 graduate of Stoughton High School, Hoffman was in his senior year at the UMass Amherst, studying Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Hundreds waited in line for hours at Hoffman's wake, held Jan. 25 at the Farley Funeral Home in Stoughton, and hundreds more attended the funeral service at St. James Church in Stoughton the morning of Jan. 26. Interment took place at Evergreen Cemetery in Stoughton.
He was the son of David and Anne, and younger brother of Nichole and Riordan.
