August 2019

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 345 emergency incidents during the month of August including 32 box alarms and 313 still alarms.

The department responded to seven requests for mutual aid during August, three times to Woburn, twice to Lynnfield and once each to Melrose and Stoneham. It received mutual aid four times in August, twice from Stoneham and once each from Lynnfield and Reading. A crew from Engine 1 under the direction of Lieutenant Phil Preston covered a vacant Woburn fire station during a 2-alarm fire in that city on the evening of August 4. Firefighters from Engine 2 led by Lieutenant Joseph Albert covered a vacant Lynnfield fire station during the morning of August 5. A crew from Engine 1 under Lieutenant John Mercurio covered a Lynnfield fire station during a serious motor vehicle accident in the community during the evening of August 11. Firefighters from Engine 1 under the command of Acting Lieutenant Gary Hill assisted the Woburn Fire Department at the scene of a 3-alarm fire on Sturgis Street during the early morning of August 16. A crew from Engine 5 led by Lieutenant Dan Hancock covered a vacant Woburn fire station during a 2-alarm fire in that city on the evening of August 26.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Brian Purcell responded to a reported kitchen fire at 37 Jefferson Avenue during the afternoon of August 25. On arrival, firefighters found a fire in the oven that was starting to extend into the kitchen. The fire was quickly put out using a portable fire extinguisher. It created a heavy smoke condition throughout the residence but did not extend beyond the oven. The cause of the fire was determined to be the accidental ignition of some plastic cooking materials inadvertently left inside the oven when it was turned onto its pre-heat cycle. There were no injuries and the residents were able to remain in the home after the fire.

All duty shifts continued their in-service business safety inspections during the month of August. All duty groups conducted a walk-thru of the new 1000 unit self-storage facility at 205 Water Street as well as the Walton School during the month of August. All department members were briefed by Tracy Ascolillo of Eliot Community Services, who has been retained By Wakefield and the City of Lynn to work as a recovery coach on an outpatient basis with citizens struggling with substance abuse issues. Tracy’s presentation was very informative and will help the department in its interaction with citizens battling addiction. Chief Sullivan assisted the staff at Brightview Senior Assisted Living facility at 21 Crescent Street with a table-top disaster exercise. The exercise, designed to test the facility’s readiness in the event of an emergency, involved a hypothetical fire in the Unitarian Universalist Church located adjacent to Brightview and how the staff would handle a potential evacuation of the building. The exercise was both informative and beneficial to all those who participated.

Firefighter Joseph Treacy received a letter of commendation from the department for his actions in rendering aid to an injured motorist during the afternoon of August 14. Firefighter Treacy went to the man’s aid after he suffered a medical issue and struck the vehicle that Firefighter Treacy was operating. Firefighter Treacy, who was off-duty at the time, noticed that the man was having a seizure, forced entry into the vehicle, placed the vehicle into park and rendered medical assistance to him until the arrival of on-duty Wakefield firefighters and Action Ambulance paramedics.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report