North Andover Firefighter Falls Through Floor During Blaze

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover firefighters extinguished a blaze at 65 Marblehead Street Monday morning, Chief John Weir said.

A fire lieutenant fell through the floor during the battle but was uninjured and able to continue fighting the fire, the chief said.

The call came in soon after 6:30 a.m. The fire was first reported in the ceiling on the first floor, but it quickly spread up the walls to the attic, Weir said.

"Because of the fast-developing nature of the fire and the cold-weather conditions, we struck a second alarm," calling in additional resources, Weir said. "Crews made an aggressive attack."

All four members of the family living at 65 Marblehead escaped safely and firefighters rescued multiple pets. The American Red Cross and North Andover Community Outreach are working with the family, Weir said.

Mutual aid was called in from Andover, Methuen, Haverhill, Middleton and Lawrence.

The bulk of the fire was knocked down after about half an hour, but firefighters continued to chase hotspots for a significant time after. An engine crew is standing by, Weir said.

Investigators are on the scene trying to find the cause of the fire. As of 10:45 a.m., there was no preliminary cause determination.

Weir encouraged residents to shovel any fire hydrants near their houses. In this case, the hydrant was accessible.

"If we couldn't have got water on this real fast, it could have had catastrophic ramifications," the chief said.

This breaking news story has been updated.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.