Beverly Fire Department

Storm Causes Damage in Beverly

Last night’s severe weather brought a flurry of activity for Emergency Responder’s across Beverly. Most of the severe damage occurred between 1030 and midnight, but strong winds howled through the city for a good portion of the night.

The Beverly Fire Department responded to 22 emergency calls between 10pm and midnight and a total of emergency calls throughout the shift. Most of the calls were for arcing power lines or trees down on power lines but at least three of the calls were for homes that sustained heavy damage after large trees fell on them. Homes on Thoreau Circle, Evergreen Drive, and Hemlock Street all fell victim to large trees through the roof.

The lone occupant of a motor vehicle was transported to Beverly Hospital for assessment of minor injuries after a large tree limb fell on her car crushing the roof. The incident happened at 10:55 pm at the intersection of Hart St and Greenwood Ave. While responding to that call, crews responding from the Wenham side of Hart St were completely blocked by a large tree across Hart St at Preston Place. Entangled in the tree were several high voltage power lines.

Structure Fire

At 1557, on February 22 dispatchers received a telephone alarm for smoke in the apartment at 15 Bartlett St. Truck 1, Engine 5, Engine 3, Car 4 and Car 2 were dispatched to the scene. Deputy Chief Petrosino arrived first and entered the second floor. Lieutenant Donald O’Connor and Firefighters Brian Latulippe, and Belanger arrived next in Truck 1and assisted Petrosino on the second floor. They found heavy smoke pushing up through holes in the floor behind a stove and determined that the source was coming from the first floor. Lieutenant Eric Fowler, and the crew of Engine 5 were ordered to the first floor where, after forcing entry through a locked door, they encountered heavy smoke and heat conditions.

Using a Thermal Imaging Camera, the crew on the first floor was able to locate heavy fire in a bathroom towards the rear of the structure. They were able to get water on the fire quickly and knock it down before it spread beyond the walls. Crews opened holes in the ceiling and walls in the bathroom where the fire began as well as the walls above the fire area in order to make sure there was no fire extension.

Fire Investigators Mark Brewer, Robert Bergeron and William Walsh investigated the fire which was determined to be caused by a hair dryer in close contact with combustible materials. Although the major fire was confined to a small bathroom, the high heat spread throughout the first floor condominium melting light fixtures, smoke detectors and everything else that it made contact with. Damage from heat was confined to the unit addressed 15A while other units did have smoke odor. Deputy Chief Walsh estimated the damages at $75,000 for the building and an additional $75,000 for contents in unit 15A.

No one was home in unit 15 but the resident in unit 4 that called the fire in was able to get out of the house uninjured. Smoke alarms did operate but were likely unheard by the neighboring tenants until smoke entered the adjacent apartment.

While all Beverly Apparatus was at the scene, the City was covered by Wenham, Hamilton and Salem. All units were clear of the scene by 1731.

2/22/10 

At 1055 on February 22, 2010, the Beverly Fire Department received a report of a fire alarm activation at 246 Cabot St. Deputy Chief William Petrosino arrived first to find a light smoke condition on the first floor of the building which is occupied by the Danvers Savings Bank.

Crews from Engine 5 and Truck 1 used thermal imaging cameras to locate the source of the smoke which they determined to be an overheated motor for an air handling fan. Firefighters used a large fan to blow the smoke from the structure.

Building Fire
2/15/10

At 2050 on Monday February 15, 2010, the Beverly Fire Department received a report of an electrical problem with an odor at 33 Longview Dr. Upon arrival, Lt. Donald Philpot and FF. Brian Miller entered the home with a thermal imaging camera and were able to locate a source of heat hidden above a second floor bedroom ceiling. As other crews brought a hoseline into the home, Philpot and Miller were able to uncover a fire in the attic right where they had found the heat signature and knock down the fire with 2 water fire extinguishers.

Additional crews from Truck 1 assisted with overhaul operations looking for additional hidden fire. None was found.

Reported Chimney Fire
2/9/10

At 1800 on February 9, the Firefighters were dispatched to 2 Old Planters Rd for a report of a chimney fire. Upon arrival firefighters found a moderate smoke condition in the home caused by an extinguished fire in the fire place.

Crews used 2 positive pressure fans to remove the smoke from the home and advised the homeowner to replace several smoke detectors that had been removed.

The fire was caused unintentionally by storage of a paraffin covered box too close to the fireplace. The wax in the box ignited sending flames outside of the fire box. A cool headed occupant used a pail of water to extinguish the fire prior to fire department arrival.

At 2234 on February 9, the Beverly Fire Department responded to 15 Ives St for a Central Station Alarm. Upon arrival, firefighters found an alarm activation on the third floor. A building occupant stated that he caused the alarm activation unintentionally after the wool socks he was trying to dry in the microwave caught fire.

Firefighters accompanied the man back to his apartment to ensure the fire was out.

At 2128 on February 4, firefighters responded to the same address for a Central Station Alarm to find a moderate smoke condition on the second floor. Firefighters were forced to force entry into 8 locked apartments before locating an extinguished kitchen fire in apartment 24. Crews checked the apartment for fire extension but found none. The cause of the fire was electrical in nature. It was extinguished by an occupant who did not immediately report the cause to arriving fire crews.

MVA with Entrapment
2/7/10

At 2039 on February 7, the Beverly Fire Department was dispatched to the area of Elliott St by Echo Ave for a report of a serious motor vehicle accident. Upon arrival crews found a single vehicle with heavy front-end damage and a lone occupant trapped in the drivers seat.

Engine 5 immediately began to assemble the Jaws of Life in order to gain access to remove the victim while Lt. Donald Philpot climbed into the vehicle to provide for patient care. Additional firefighters from Truck 1 addressed the hazard of flammable liquids on the ground and assisted the crew of Engine 5 with vehicle extrication. Crews used the Jaws to remove the drivers side door.

Within 10 minutes, the male victim was removed from the vehicle and transported to the hospital by Northeast Regional Ambulance. He was conscious and alert throughout the extrication process but required further medical assessment due to the magnitude of the crash and the potential for hidden trauma.

Once the victim was clear of the scene, firefighters spread speedi dry over a significant amount of spilled oil and stood by for the vehicle to be removed from the scene. All apparatus were clear of the scene at 2128.

Kitchen Fire
2/4/10

At 2018 on February 4, the Beverly Fire Department responded for a report of a fire alarm activation at 15 Ives St. Upon arrival, fire crews from Truck 1 found a moderate smoke condition on the second floor. A resident stated that he knew where the fire was and proceeded to lead the firefighters to another location in the building where there was no fire.

When crews returned to the original area, they were unable to immediately ascertain the location of the fire and began to force entry into apartments in order to find it. Ultimately, crews found an extinguished kitchen fire in 24. The occupant extinguished the fire but failed to alert responding firefighters to the fact that the fire occurred in their apartment.

2/1/10
Dumpster Fire

At 1655, Engine 5 was dispatched to 701 Cabot St for a report of a dumpster fire. Upon arrival, Lieutenant Donald Philpot, Firefighter Ross McCulloch and Firefighter Brian Miller found a 9 yard dumpster fully involved in fire. The dumpster was next to a second dumpster and both were surrounded on three sides by a wooden fence.

Crews immediately advanced a hoseline and attacked the fire, which had already begun to spread to the adjacent fence. The crews used a pike pole and 550 gallons of water to fully extinguish the fire. The fire damaged one dumpster and a section of wood fence. No cause has been determined as of yet.

Engine 5 was clear of the scene at 1725.