ORANGE — No injuries resulted from a shed and surrounding brush fire at 15 and 23 Cottage St. on Tuesday.

According to Fire Chief James Young, the fire started from “unauthorized outdoor burning that spread to an area of brush and trash and then eventually to the shed.” The blaze started at 15 Cottage St. and spread to the exterior of a neighbor’s large shed.

Dispatchers received the call about the fire at 2:59 p.m., but firefighters on duty were addressing another call in North Orange, according to a post on the Orange Fire EMS Facebook page. The on-call staff called in off-duty firefighters and personnel to assist. The department also requested brush trucks and aid from Athol and Erving State Forest Fire District 9.

When firefighters arrived at 3:08 p.m., the owner of the original shed was hosing down the flames to protect his home 15 feet away. The Facebook post recognizes neighbors and residents who helped deploy hose lines while waiting for units from Athol and District 9 to arrive. Firefighters used hand lines to control the fire on both sheds, and a nearby hydrant supplied more water.

The original shed and all belongings were reduced to ash, and the neighboring shed at 23 Cottage St. experienced enough damage for the Orange Fire Department to consider it a total loss. The department has not decided to charge or issue a citation for illegal burning at this time.

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