The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 198 emergency incidents during the month of November 2007 including 33 Box Alarms and 165 Still Alarms.
On Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 1:24 PM the Wakefield Fire Department responded to a 2 alarm fire at 246 Salem Street. This fire, which was started accidentally by a candle, heavily damaged a first floor apartment in a 4-unit apartment building. An aggressive attack by firefighters under the direction of Captain John F. Brown, Jr. kept the fire in the apartment of origin, stopping it before it could spread throughout the building. Although there were no injuries, 12 residents of the building were displaced by this fire.
The department was also busy in November handling a larger than normal number of heating system emergencies and carbon monoxide detector investigations, due mainly to the colder weather and the large number of carbon monoxide detectors in residences as now required by state law.
The fire department responded to 4 mutual aid requests during November, including Melrose (2) and Stoneham (2). The department received mutual aid from 5 communities during November including Reading, Lynnfield, North Reading, Stoneham and Melrose, all needed to assist in fighting the Salem Street fire on November 14th.
Other Fire Department activities during the month of November included:
- Completion of the 2007 Fire Prevention Inspections of commercial properties
- All protective gear was evaluated for proper size and condition
We would also like to acknowledge a very generous gift of $7,000 to the fire department from our friends at the Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation on Audubon Road. It is our hope to use these funds to purchase a new Thermal Imaging Camera.
