MONTAGUE — Firefighters extinguished a fire on the porch at 90 Turnpike Road at around noon on Friday.
A neighbor, who is a retired firefighter, noticed thick black smoke coming from the enclosed front porch of the small, two-story home, and advised his wife to call 911. At the same time, homeowner Deepa Khanal said her mother noticed a strange smell and when she opened the front door, she saw smoke.
Khanal said she got her son, Aayu Neupane, 2½, and parents, Dinesh and Ambika Khanal, and grabbed a fire extinguisher from the kitchen as they exited the home through the smoke-filled porch. Meanwhile, the neighbor, who declined to be identified, took the fire extinguisher and emptied it into the porch while waiting for firefighters to arrive.
Khanal said her husband, Gyanendra Neupane, was at work and another son, Aaron Neupane, 8, was at school. She said she had no idea what may have started the fire.
There were no pets inside and the home is insured, Khanal said. Neighbors brought out chairs and blankets to comfort the family.
Turners Falls Fire Chief Brian McCarthy said, “It was a good stop. The neighbor used a fire extinguisher to slow the fire and we soaked it down with our 1¾-inch hose when we arrived.”
A hydrant in front of the house was then used as crews tore into the walls to look for extension of the fire, which appeared to be limited to the porch. Crews also used fans to clear smoke from the house.
McCarthy said he called the Office of the State Fire Marshal because of the lack of an obvious cause of the fire.
Firefighters responded from Turners Falls, Montague Center, Erving, Greenfield and Bernardston fire departments. AMR ambulance evaluated the family members, and Montague Police handled temporarily closing Turnpike Road during the fire.
Reach Paul Franz at
413-772-0261, ext. 266 or pfranz@recorder.com.
