October 2018

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 339 emergency incidents during the month of October including 44 box alarms and 295 still alarms.

The department responded to five requests for mutual aid during October, twice each to Melrose and Reading and once to Lynnfield. It received mutual aid thirty two times in October, five times from Lynnfield, three times from Reading, twice each from Everett, Malden, Medford, North Reading, and Revere and once each from Danvers, Lexington, Lynn, Massport, Melrose, Middleton, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Stoneham, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn. A crew from Engine 1 led by Lieutenant Daniel Hancock covered Reading Fire headquarters during an incident in that town on October 16.

Shortly before 7 P.M. on the night of October 23 a weather front moved through the area bringing with it severe thunderstorms and vivid lightning. Within minutes the Wakefield Police Department started receiving 911 calls reporting smoke coming from the First Baptist Church on Lafayette Street. Firefighters under the command of Captain Paul Pronco responded to the church one minute after being dispatched to find smoke showing from the church steeple and a small fire visible near the base of the steeple. Firefighters gained entry to the church and began to investigate the extent of the fire while an outside hose line was deployed on the visible fire in the steeple. Within a matter of seconds fire extended from the area it was first spotted and started to rapidly extend both inside and up the exterior of the steeple. Captain Pronco immediately ordered a second and third alarm and began to deploy the first alarm firefighters on scene for an outside attack. The fire quickly engulfed the entire steeple and began to spread into the void area between the ceiling of the main church and the roof of the building. This concealed ceiling space was enormous and only accessible via the church steeple. The space was approximately 25 to 30 high at the peak and unobstructed for the entire length of the main church sanctuary. The fire took possession of this cavernous space almost immediately, feeding on the dry 150 year old wooden framing and roof structure. A fourth alarm was sounded and Chief Sullivan arrived to assume overall command of the incident. The church roof completely collapsed in the next few minutes and the entire main church was soon fully involved in flames. The collapsing roof damaged the fire wall separating the rear of the church from the main sanctuary and the fire soon extended into this area as well.

The intense heat radiating from the burning wooden church immediately threatened all of the adjoining properties surrounding the church. Wakefield Town Hall, the Main Street building containing Artichoke’s and eight condominium units, a multi-family residence on Yale Ave, the McDonald Funeral Home and its detached garage on Yale Avenue, and a two-family residence on Lafayette Street behind the church all started to give off steam as they absorbed the radiant heat coming from the burning church. A fifth, sixth and seventh alarm were sounded to bring enough fire apparatus to the scene to establish a water supply to both control the main fire in the church and protect the above-mentioned exposed buildings. Water supply lines were relayed pumped from multiple fire engines down Yale Avenue and Church Street onto North Avenue. Additional supply lines were laid out from the downtown Main Street area and across the upper common from Main Street. All of this water, some five million gallons in all, was pumped up to the fire scene to supply six ladder pipes, numerous deck guns and large hand lines deployed around the church. The effort involved seven ladder trucks and 20 engine companies from approximately 21 different area fire departments, an astounding demonstration of the effectiveness of the mutual aid system. Apparatus responded to the fire from Burlington, Danvers, Everett, Lexington, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Melrose, Middleton, North Reading, Peabody, Reading, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Stoneham, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn. A Medford engine and ladder truck as well as a Massport engine covered Wakefield Fire Headquarters.

More than 120 firefighters battled the fire for approximately 8 hours until the fire in the main church had died down after consuming the rear section as well. Wakefield firefighters remained on scene continuously for the next 45 hours extinguishing hot spots until approximately 4 P.M. on October 25. Sadly, the church was completely destroyed with an estimated dollar loss of more than $5 million dollars. A church community had lost its place of worship, the Tall Spire preschool had lost its home and numerous community groups had lost their meeting space. All of the surrounding exposed buildings were saved with only a few cracked windows and some melted siding to show for damage. Firefighters were aided in their efforts to save the adjoining properties by the virtual lack of any appreciable wind and the heavy rain that immediately proceeded the fire drenching the area.

The Wakefield Fire Department is grateful for all of the assistance that was rendered during this historic fire from other town departments. Wakefield Police Officers were joined by fellow officers from its partner NEMLAC communities as they handled traffic around the incident and the thousands of spectators watching the fire from surrounding neighborhoods. The DPW supplied saw horses and cones to block off streets and turned on the town pumps at the Broadway station to boost the pressure in the water system. The Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department shut off utilities to the Baptist Church creating a safer fireground for firefighters to work around. Emergency Manager Thomas Walsh and Building Inspector Jack Roberto secured a crane service to dismantle what remained of the steeple and a demolition firm to tear down the remaining walls of the church that were in serious danger of collapse after the fire was extinguished. Health Agent Ruth Clay, Town Manager Steve Maio and the members of the Town Council were also on hand to lend their support to the department.

The Fire Prevention Bureau continues to the monitor many construction projects in town. The construction of the 34-unit condominium building at 3 Bennet Street is progressing well, the building’s five-story structure has been completely framed and enclosed. The structural steel for the apartment building at 640 Main Street has been assembled and concrete poring of the floors has begun. All duty groups completed their allotted on-going Emergency Medical Training during October. School evacuation drills were conducted in the Greenwood, Dolbeare, Galvin Middle School, Wakefield Memorial High School, Woodville and Walton Schools during the month of October.

October is Fire Prevention Month and the department was busy with many visits from school groups. Groups of preschoolers from Canterbury Children’s Center visited fire headquarters on October 9 and 10. Preschoolers from the Doyle School visited fire headquarters on October 25 and 26. Several classes of kindergarteners from the Greenwood School visited the Greenwood Fire Station on October 26. A crew from Ladder 1 visited the Galvin Middle School on October 1 for a presentation to sixth grade students attending Camp Galvin. Chief Sullivan made a presentation on fire safety to the Joint St Florence & St. Joseph’s Women’s Sodality group during the evening of October 10.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report