March 2020

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 267 emergency incidents during the month of February including 33 box alarms and 234 still alarms. The department responded to one request for mutual aid during March to Lynn. It received mutual aid three times in March, twice from Reading and once from Stoneham. Lieutenant Joseph Albert responded with a crew from Engine 2 to cover a vacant Lynn Fire Headquarters during a multiple alarm fire in that city during the evening of March 11.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Randy Hudson responded to reports of smoke coming from the building at the Lakeside Office Park, 607 North Avenue, during the afternoon of March 5. Upon their arrival, they encountered heavy black smoke coming from the chimney and banking down into the parking lot. A quick investigation soon revealed that creosote and other combustible debris inside the chimney had ignited. The fire was quickly contained to the chimney and the furnace was shut down for cleaning. There was no other fire damage to the property and no injuries as a result of this fire. Occupants were allowed to return to the building as soon as the smoke was cleared. The cause of the fire was determined to be a failure to clean out the chimney after the furnace to the building had been replaced.

Captain Thomas Purcell led a group of firefighters responding to a reported building fire at 16 Juniper Avenue during the evening of March 23. The homeowner noticed a strong smell of burning wood after operating the fireplace all day as he was preparing to retire for the night. Shortly after that the fire alarms in the residence activated. Firefighters arrived within several minutes and found that the homeowner had already made numerous opening in the walls located behind the chimney in an attempt to control a smoldering fire that had ignited inside the wall. They were quickly able to wet down the affected areas preventing any further fire extension within the residence. The homeowner suffered a serious cut to his hand during his extinguishment efforts during the fire. The family residing at the residence was displaced for several days while the damage was repaired. The cause of the fire was determined to be a defective lining inside the chimney flue which allowed adjoining wall sections to heat up and ignite.

Firefighters under Captain Brian Purcell responded to a fire at 478 Main Street during the morning of March 24. The crew from Engine 2 spotted heavy smoke and fire coming from the top of the chimney at the site of the former business known as Stylecraft while driving up from the Greenwood fire station. They immediately stopped and began extinguishing the fire while additional firefighters responded from Headquarters. Firefighters forced entry into the building and began checking the wall spaces adjacent to the chimney for fire extension. Finding no extension, they were able to access the cleanout for the chimney and empty it of burning debris. The fire was contained to the chimney area and the building was vented of smoke. There were no occupants in the vacant building at the time of the fire and no injuries reported. The cause of the fire was determined to be lack of maintenance to the chimney and heating system.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Randy Hudson responded to a reported house fire at 19 Lakeview Avenue during the evening of March 29 after a violent thunder and lightning storm moved through the area. Firefighters quickly determined from a neighbor that lightning had in fact struck the home igniting its siding and some underlying insulation. Neighbors had the fire under control upon the arrival of the department. Firefighters checked the home and did not find any signs of fire extension. The Wakefield Municipal gas and light Department responded as well to check the home’s electrical service. No issues were found and the occupants were able to stay in the home.

Wakefield Firefighters Michael Scheri and Michael Marroquin successfully graduated with the other members of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Recruit Training Class 281 on March 20, 2020. The recruits completed 11 weeks of intensive training that began on January 13. Firefighters Scheri and Marroquin will receive several additional weeks of training with the department before being assigned to their new respective groups in mid-April. The department wishes them long and productive careers in the fire service.

All schedule emergency medical training as well as an awareness class on the risks of occupational cancer in the fire service were cancelled or rescheduled due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.

The Coronavirus continues to work its way through the community and the country. The department responded to more than 200 emergency medical calls during the month of March, some of them involving residents sick with COVID-19 and some sick with the flu and other illnesses. The department continues to serve the public and respond to calls involving COVID-19, equipped with N95 masks, gloves, medical aprons and goggles. We look a bit different and may ask some additional questions but we stand ready to assist the public in any way we can no matter what the circumstances may be.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report