Fire Destroys House in Western Coventry

COVENTRY, RI—Nobody was hurt after a fire gutted a house on Greenhouse Road in Coventry on Sunday as firefighters were hampered by a closed bridge.

By the time crews arrived to the house at 224 Greenhouse Road, it was fully engulfed, according to reports, and firefighters were forced to take a defensive stance as the flames consumed the single-family home close to the Connecticut border.

Everyone residing in the house made it out safely and all occupants were accounted for.

The president of the local fire union, David Gorman, said in a tweet that "failing/closed bridge causes delay reaching house fire," referring to the closure of the Hopkins Hollow Road Bridge by the state Department of Transportation for repairs.

The house, located just a few miles from the state line, is one of many remotely-located residences in Coventry and a prime example of the type of structure at major risk, firefighters said. As several fire districts in town continue to try to find firm financial footing, the result has been less manpower and investment in apparatus.

Recent brush fires have shown how quickly the town's firefighters can get tapped out, forcing mutual aid from other towns.

On Sunday, not long before the Greenhouse Road fire, Coventry crews were in the brush off Narrow lane fighting a stubborn blaze. That effort required help from neighboring West Greenwich and even led to a response from Providence Canteen.

The Greenhouse Road fire demonstrates how one road closure can impact a large swath of territory when it comes to response times.

"Maybe we should put up some toll booths in Coventry," Gorman said.

A call to the Western Coventry Fire District was not answered.

The house at 224 Greenhouse Road was built in 1975, according to town property records.