November 2018

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 293 emergency incidents during the month of November including 35 box alarms and 258 still alarms.

The department responded to three requests for mutual aid during November, twice to Stoneham and once to Saugus. It received mutual aid six times in November, three times each from Lynnfield and Reading. A crew from Engine 4 led by Lieutenant Joseph Albert assisted the Saugus Fire department at the scene of a structure fire at 10 Sterling Avenue during the afternoon of November 23.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Randy Hudson responded to a reported kitchen fire at 30 Salem Street during the late afternoon of November1. Fortunately, upon their arrival, they found a small oven fire that had been extinguished by an occupant. Responding firefighters were impressed by how calm and collected two boys living in the apartment were during this incident. The two boys, Caden and Cody Hourihan, alerted their mom to the oven fire, instructed her to call 911, found a fire extinguisher and gave instructions to their mom on its proper use. While mom used the fire extinguisher to put out the fire, the boys proceeded outside to their meeting spot where they greeted firefighters and showed them the best way to enter the apartment. Caden and Cody were instrumental in keeping a potentially serious fire from developing by staying calm and providing good advice to their mom. The boys will be recognized at a brief ceremony at Wakefield Fire Headquarters on December 11.

Captain Thomas Purcell led firefighters responding to a reported house fire at 28 Walton Street during the morning of November 13. Firefighters encountered heavy smoke coming from beneath the floor of the mobile home. He floor was quickly opened to reveal that an electrical problem had ignited combustibles in the area under the home. The fire was quickly extinguished but caused considerable damage to the home. Power was cut to the residence due to the extensive damage to the electrical system caused by the fire. The residents of the home will be displaced until repairs can be made. There were no injuries to either residents or firefighters during the incident.

Firefighters under Lieutenant Robert Taggart assisted the homeowner at 12 Forest Road ensure that a fire in a wood pellet stove was completely extinguished. The occupant awoke during the early morning of November 15 to find the residence full of smoke with wooden flooring around the stove smoldering due to a malfunction in the unit. The wall and ceiling area around the stove was opened up and checked for fire extension, which fortunately did not occur. There were no injuries and the building occupants were able to remain in the home.

Firefighters checked on two extinguished oven fires at 22 Preston Street and 1148 Main Street during the early evening of November 26. Both fires were contained to the stove and didn’t cause serious damage.

The Fire Prevention Bureau continues to the monitor many construction projects in town. The construction of the five story 34-unit condominium building at 3 Bennet Street is progressing well, the building is now completely enclosed with individual units being framed out. The structural steel for the apartment building at 640 Main Street has been assembled and concrete pouring of the floors has been completed. The building at 37 Water Street is actively undergoing renovations to convert the first and second floors into apartments. All duty groups completed their allotted on-going Emergency Medical Training during November. School evacuation drills were conducted at the Northeast Regional Vocational School and St. Joseph’s elementary school during the month of November.

A Webelos den from Cub Scout Pack 712 visited Wakefield Fire Headquarters on the evening of November 27.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report