NORTHFIELD — A stubborn house fire at 129 Warwick Road kept firefighters busy Saturday afternoon, but did not cause any injuries.
Homeowner Kevin Griffin said he returned home to find smoke in the two-story building and water in the basement, leading him to call 911. The call came in at 1:04 p.m., according to Fire Chief Floyd “Skip” Dunnell III, who said the fire appeared to have started in the basement and extended to the crawlspace.
Using a nearby fire hydrant, firefighters knocked down the initial blaze, but fire had extended into the structure’s balloon-frame walls, prompting the firefighters to remove siding to extinguish hotspots. Dunnell added that extra staffing was needed for the labor-intensive work, ensuring that crews could take turns during the heat.
Firefighters came from departments in Northfield, Greenfield, Erving, Turners Falls, Bernardston and Hinsdale, New Hampshire, with Gill providing station coverage and South Deerfield serving as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). The Northfield Police Department closed a section of Warwick Road as firefighters responded and Northfield EMS was on standby.
Griffin, who lives alone and does not have any pets, said the house was insured.
“At least no one got hurt,” he said.
The house suffered fire, smoke and water damage. The situation was deemed under control by 3 p.m., when crews began to pack up their equipment.
