LAKE PLEASANT — Fast response by the town’s Fire Department saved a two-story house on Massasoit Street Monday.
Firefighters were called to 12 Massasoit St., a wood-frame house, around 1:15 p.m. for a reported chimney fire that extended into the wall. At 1:30, the alarm was upgraded to a structure fire and surrounding fire departments were called for mutual aid.
At the scene 45 minutes later, Turners Falls Fire Chief John Zellmann said the fire had been extinguished, adding that no one was hurt. He said emergency crews stopped the spreading of flames within about 10 minutes, on the second floor, before it could do any significant damage.
Behind Zellmann, smoke could be seen drifting out of a small window in the attic, and firefighters in turnout gear carried pike poles and axes into the house. Two inch-and-a-half hose lines stretched in through the front door, connected to an idling fire engine, which in turn was hooked up to a hydrant about a block away.
The smell of stale wood smoke hung in the air.
Nearby, more than five engines and about 20 firefighters from Turners Falls, Greenfield, Montague Center, Erving and Sunderland stood by to help out. An electric company worker showed up a short while later, and Deerfield Fire Department was asked to help with station coverage.
Zellmann said because of the house’s older, “balloon frame” construction, checking the walls for fire extension — also called “overhaul” — took a while. He explained, “gotta go top to bottom,” noting that water damage was limited by tarps draped over furniture and spread on floors inside the house.
By around 3 p.m., fire crews had started to return to their respective towns.
You can reach Andy Castillo
at: acastillo@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 263
On Twitter: @AndyCCastillo