TROY, New Hampshire is trying to make sense of a heartbreak that unfolded in the early hours of March 31. At around 1:45 a.m., firefighters were called to a blaze at 51 Morse Street that began as what was first reported as a chimney fire. When crews got there, flames had already spread to the porch and the home was quickly engulfed. Two people were still inside when rescuers rushed in and pulled them out. One was 56‑year‑old Benjamin P. Jalava. The other was 24‑year‑old Madalyn K. Jalava.
Benjamin was brought out and taken to Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, where he was pronounced dead soon after arrival. Madalyn was critically injured and flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where she fought for her life. Late in the day after the fire, hospital staff confirmed she had died from her injuries. The losses have hit this quiet community hard and neighbors are still in shock, trying to grasp it all.
The fire marshal’s office says all residents of the home have been accounted for, and the family’s pets tragically did not survive. The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating how the fire started and spread, but officials so far do not believe it was suspicious. Autopsy results are still pending.
Friends and relatives have described Madalyn as warm, full of potential and someone who loved her family. Benjamin was remembered as a steady presence in his community, the kind of person people could count on. In the days since the blaze, floral tributes and memories left on porches have become a quiet testament to how much these two meant to people around them.
Fire crews from several nearby departments helped fight the blaze that night. No first responders were hurt, but the emotional toll on the small force that worked to save the Jalavas has been clear in conversations around town.
Family members have asked for privacy while they grieve and make arrangements. Neighbors say services will include time to celebrate the lives of both Madalyn and Benjamin, their warmth and the way they brightened everyday moments.
