Fire Incidents, Aug. 23 - Aug. 30

Fire incidents by the numbers:

EMS calls, excluding car accidents: 17

EMS calls, no transport/treatment refusal: 6

Smoke scares: 6

Alarm system malfunctions: 5

Smoke detector malfunctions: 4

Gas leaks: 3

Barbecue/tar kettle fires: 2

Fuel burner fires: 1

Outside trash fires: 1

Cooking fires: 1

Fire incidents:

Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 10:40 a.m., firefighters arrived at John Poulter Lane to find wires burning in a tree. Two primary wires were down on the ground. People were kept away from the area, and residents on the road reported power outages.

Friday, Aug. 27 fire officials and police were at the Quality Inn & Suites on Bedford Street after a suspicious substance was found in room 3145 around 9:32 a.m. The state police bomb squad and hazardous materials team arrived at 10:47 a.m., and Hanscom Air Force Base security and fire also responded at 12:29 p.m. when requested. Three people who came in contact with the substance, said to be a white powder, were assessed by medics and taken to Lahey Clinic. The substance was deemed not a hazard at 2:35 p.m. and a second story when the situation ended. 

Also on Friday, a smoldering drop cloth was found on Rte. 128 northbound around 4:18 p.m. A state trooper had tried to extinguish it with a bottle of water. Firefighters used pressurized water to put it out.

A melted circuit board in a fire alarm panel caused alarms to go off at a building on April Lane Saturday, Aug. 28 at 6:48 p.m. A resident reported a smell of smoke in the lower level. Firefighters found the melted circuit board and shut off the circuit breaker panel, and also disconnecte the batteries.

Also on Saturday, a pot of soup burnt on a stove in a Potter Road home, and the fire alarm sounded at 7:51 p.m. Firefighters ventilated the home.

Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1:04 a.m., smoke from an arcing electric extension cord activated an alarm in a building on Marrett Road. A cleaning company was cleaning the first floor men's bathroom at the time. Firefighters helped ventilate the building by opening an exit door in the hallway and reset the system.