November 2022

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 381 emergency incidents during the month of November 2022 including 27 box alarms and 354 still alarms. The department responded to two requests for mutual aid during November, once each to Lynnfield and Melrose. The department received mutual aid twice during the month of November, both times from Stoneham.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Brian Purcell responded to a reported house fire at 44 Crescent Street during the evening of November 11. Arriving firefighters found a fire burning underneath an exterior stairway extending to the exterior siding of the building. The fire was quickly knocked down with a hose line and did not extend beyond the area that it started. An investigation eventually determined the cause of the fire to be the careless disposal of smoking materials under the stairway which ignited some plastic furniture and nearby exterior siding. There were no injuries as a result of the fire and no residents were displaced.

Firefighters led by Captain Randy Hudson responded to a reported building fire at 39 Richardson Avenue during the evening of November 12. Firefighters found a stove fire in unit 1
that had been knocked down with a fire extinguisher by one of the occupants of the apartment. Heavy smoke conditions were encountered throughout unit 1 with smoke extending to the first and second-floor corridors of the 20-unit apartment building. The kitchen area around the stove was checked for fire extension. Several adjoining cabinets above and adjacent to the stove were scorched by the fire. Several exhaust fans were set up inside the building to vent it of accumulated smoke. The fire was contained to the immediate area of the stove. The cause of the fire was determined to be the accidental ignition of unattended food in a frying pan on the stove. The two occupants of the apartment were able to stay with relatives residing in the same building. There were no injuries as a result of the fire. A Stoneham engine company briefly assisted Wakefield firefighters at the scene.

All groups attended medical classes as part of their Emergency Medical Technician certificates. Department members continued their annual in-service business inspections of commercial properties. Engine 1 went to the St. Joseph’s School to visit with the preschool classes on November 2, 2022. All Groups reviewed procedures related to extinguishment of chimney fires, cold weather precautions with fire apparatus and incidents involving natural gas leaks. Recruit firefighter Benjamin Tomsyck received training in the proper use of his self-rescue (bail-
out) kit.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report