January 2019

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 342 emergency incidents during the month of January including 48 box alarms and 294 still alarms.

The department responded to six requests for mutual aid during January, twice to Saugus, twice to Melrose and once each Stoneham and Reading. It received mutual aid eight times in January, five times from Lynnfield, twice from Stoneham and once from Reading. A crew from Engine 2 under the direction of Lieutenant Michael Long assisted the Saugus Fire Department at the scene of a structure at 21 Cleveland Avenue during the early afternoon of January 14. Firefighters under the command of Lieutenant Daniel Hancock responded to a 3-alarm fire at 54 Temple Street in Reading during the afternoon of January 22. Lieutenant John Mercurio and a crew from Engine 1 covered Stoneham Fire Headquarters during a fire in that community during the early evening of January 23.

The cold winter weather during the last half of January resulted in several small structure fires which could have potentially been more serious.

Firefighters led by Captain Randy Hudson responded to a report of an alarm sounding at 340 Main Street during the evening of January 22. Firefighters arrived to discover that building occupants thawing out frozen pipes with a torch had inadvertently ignited combustibles within a concealed wall space. Firefighters vented the structure of smoke and checked for fire extension into the structure, finding none. This incident clearly demonstrates the inherent hazards associated with the use of open flame devices to thaw out frozen pipes. Fortunately the building had very minor damage as a result of this fire and the construction work in preparation for the opening of a new restaurant is proceeding uninhibited.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Paul Pronco responded to a reported shed fire at 9 Nichols Street during the late afternoon of January 29. Firefighters found smoke coming from a detached shed and quickly extinguished the fire. The shed was utilized as a workshop and the homeowner was utilizing a propane space heater to keep the small structure warm. He left the shed for a few minutes and the heater apparently malfunctioned causing the fire. There were no injuries and the main residence was not damaged as a result of the fire.

Captain Randy Hudson led another group of firefighters responding to a reported structure fire at 2 Norway Street during the morning of January 30. Firefighters arrived to find smoke entering the house from the fireplace as well as heavy smoke emitting from the chimney. Firefighters discovered that a flue pipe coming from a wood-burning stove was partially blocked, causing smoke to back up into the structure. The fire in the wood stove was extinguished and the flue pipe was dismantled and cleared of the blockage. Firefighters checked the chimney flue and adjoining walls of the residence finding no extension of fire into these areas. There were no injuries as a result of this fire and the residents were able to remain in their home.

Firefighters from Engine 1 and Ladder1 under the direction of Captain Paul Pronco assisted an injured worker at a company on Audubon Road who had caught his arm in a conveyor belt during the morning of January 11. The worker had been freed from the machinery just prior to the arrival of firefighters and was treated by both firefighters and Action Ambulance paramedics for his serious injuries before being transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for follow-up care.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report