September 2021

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 340 emergency incidents during the month of September 2021 including 31 box alarms and 309 still alarms. The department responded to eight requests for mutual aid during September, six times to Melrose and twice to Lynnfield. The department received mutual aid three times during the month of September, twice from Reading and once from Stoneham.

Firefighters under the command of Lieutenant Joseph Albert assisted the Melrose Fire Department at the scene of a structure fire at 122 West Emerson Street during the early morning of September 3. A crew from Engine 1 led by Acting Lieutenant Christopher Sullivan covered a vacant Lynnfield Fire station while that department was tied up at multiple calls on September 18.

Wakefield firefighters led by Captain David Shinney responded to a report of a person struck by a train near the Broadway intersection during the early evening of September 1. Sadly a 63-year old woman was killed as a result of that accident.  Firefighters under the direction of Captain John Walsh responded to a reported motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Main and Lowell Streets during the early morning of September 3. Firefighters found a single vehicle that had left the road and landed upright in the Saugus River next to the Cumberland Farms property. The only occupant of the vehicle had self-extricated and appeared to suffer only minor injuries.  She was transported to Lahey Burlington as a precaution.  The fuel tank for the vehicle remained intact and there was no fuel contamination occurred in the Saugus River.

Captain Randy Hudson led Wakefield Firefighters responding to a reported gas leak at the Northeast Regional Vocational School during the morning of September 9. Upon their arrival, firefighters quickly discovered a strong odor of propane inside the building in the vicinity of the metal fabrication shop. The school was evacuated as firefighters shut down the fuel lines to all of the propane tanks supplying the building. The school was thoroughly vented of all propane vapors but the source of the propane leak could not be quickly identified.  The faculty and students were evacuated down to Beasley Oval at the Wakefield Memorial High School until a determination was made by the school administration to send them home due to the fact that the cafeteria could not open and hot water was not available. A leak in a supply line was eventually found by utility contractors and the school was reopened on the following Monday morning. There were no injuries and no damage to the school as a result of this incident.

Firefighters under the command of Captain John Walsh responded to a reported basement fire at 3 Andrews Road during the early afternoon of September 28.  Firefighters arrived to find a fire in a basement wall had been extinguished by a contractor making renovations on the home. The cause of the fire was determined to be a malfunctioning lithium battery in a construction shop light.  The battery overheated and ignited wood construction in the exterior wall and overhead ceiling. Fire damage was limited to the basement area in the vicinity of the fire. The fire created a smoke condition inside the basement which was quickly vented outside by firefighters. There were no injuries and no occupants were displaced as a result of the fire.

Five new recruit firefighters, Samuel Carr, Richard Bruno, Charles Curran, John Panzini and Jarrod Fitzpatrick, are presently attending Recruit Class # 295 of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.  This recruit program is a ten-week training regimen with an anticipated graduation date of October 8, 2021. All groups continued their annual in-service business inspections during September.  All department members participated in Emergency Medical Technician training classes during September provided free to the department by Cataldo Ambulance.

All department fire apparatus passed the annual Registry of Motor Vehicles safety inspections during the month of September. The department conducted fire drills in all public and private schools during the month of September. Wakefield Ladder 1 proudly hung an American flag along with a Melrose ladder truck near the Most Blessed Sacrament Church to acknowledge the Boston Wounded Veterans annual motorcycle ride that passed through Wakefield on Sunday, September 19. The department also participated in a memorial service to acknowledge the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 held during the evening of September 11 on the Wakefield Upper Common.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report