Crime & Safety
House Fire In Townsend MA Goes To 5-Alarms; More Than 100 Firefighters Assist: Watch
Firefighters from New Hampshire and Mass. battle intense fire at a home on Main Street; 2 animals treated by EMS; 2 firefighters injuries.
TOWNSEND, MA — Townsend fire and rescue teams responded to a report of a building at 205 Main St. on Sunday.
The first chief arrived at the scene at about 10:15 a.m. and immediately called for a second alarm. The large residential structure had several additions and a large amount of contents, which hampered fighting the fire.
Firefighters verified that everyone was out of the building and at the rear of the building, found an unconscious dog and brought it to EMS personnel who were at the scene.
Find out what's happening in Nashuafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Townsend EMS began giving medical attention to a dog and rabbit removed from the fire. Using oxygen masks specially designed for animals, they were given air to assist in their breathing. After initial treatment at the scene, they were brought to a local veterinarian for additional care.
A third alarm was requested about 10 minutes after the arrival of the first crews, this brought additional resources from several Massachusetts and New Hampshire towns.
Find out what's happening in Nashuafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Eventually, a fourth and fifth alarm was required bringing more than a dozen towns and more than 100 firefighters and support personnel.
Townsend Fire Chief Gary Shepherd said the first and second floors of the home were already compromised by the time firefighters arrived.
As the fire spread throughout the building, it became dangerous to crews working inside. A decision was made to pull everyone from the building and go into defensive mode. Air horns on all the apparatus were sounded to alert firefighters to evacuate the structure.
The construction and age of the building allowed the fire to travel in walls and up to the attic, making it difficult to extinguish.
After the heavy fire was extinguished, an excavator was brought to the scene and removed unstable parts of the building. Firefighters removed several personal belongings, including bicycles, from the residence before parts of the building were torn down.
Two firefighters were injured, and one was transported for what was possible heat exhaustion. The second firefighter was treated at the scene for a cut to their hand.
The state fire marshal’s office arrived at the scene and assisted in investigating the cause of the fire.
A fire crew will remain at the scene overnight if any parts of the structure may reignite.
©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news
