Barrington Fire: Bowden Avenue: Update

BARRINGTON, RI — Crews responded to a three-alarm fire on Bowden Street on Wednesday night. Fire Department Capt. Jason Fanion said the first alarm was struck shortly before 10 p.m. The homeowner and his wife made it safely out of the building. However, the man was injured. He suffered a cut on his foot but did not need medical treatment.

Barrington, Seekonk, Mass., and East Providence firefighters responded. Two of the firefighters, both from Seekonk, were rescued from a room on the second floor when the conditions became too dangerous.

"The conditions deteriorated rapidly," he said citing the smoke, the heat and the fire.

"They just happened to be in the same room," he said. One called Mayday when he realized the other was injured. The injured firefighter suffered burns on his face.

"He was in full protective gear," Capt. Fanion said, but the fire was so intense it burned through. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, treated and released.

The East Providence rapid intervention team removed the two Seekonk firefighters from the second floor room where they had been working, Capt. Fanion said. All the other firefighters also exited the building, so the command could verify everyone was accounted for. Firefighters from Barrington and East Providence were also in different areas on the second floor and on other levels. The fire started in the basement on the right side of the house and ultimately went up through the first and second floors to the attic.

The state fire marshal was called on Wednesday night. According to Capt. Fanion, the preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire was a halogen lamp being used as a spotlight. It was left turned on in the basement near a pile of clothes. At some point, the lamp fell onto the clothes and ignited them. The fire spread up the basement wall into the electrical panel. Then it continued up the wall of the right side of the house all the way to the attic.

The Red Cross is assisting the two homeowners. The house is uninhabitable, he said.

SEEKONK COMMAND/INCIDENT COMMANDER RPTG ALL FIREFIGHTERS BEEN LOCATED & ARE OUT OF THE STRUCTURE [RDI018]

UPDATE: COMMAND/INCIDENT COMMANDER RPTG 1 FIREFIGHTER CALLING NG MAYDAY ON 2ND FLOOR, RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM TEAM GOING IN FOR RESCUE [RDI018]

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