On June 25, 2003, at 06:31hrs, the Bellows Falls, Vermont Fire Department responded to a call of smoke coming out of the 3rd floor window of the apartment building corner of School and Atkinson.
Bellows Falls C3 radioed Southwestern New Hampshire District Fire Mutual Aid (SWNHDFMA) in Keene NH, requesting assistance.
At 06:37 Bellows Falls command radioed SWNHDFMA to request a 2nd alarm assignment which brought engines from Rockingham VT( E-1) ,Westminster VT(E-1), Walpole NH(E-2) ,Charlestown NH(E-4) , platform from Westminster VT(P-1) , cascade from Walpole NH(R-4), a engine crew from Springfield VT(E-1)for a RIT team. North Walpole NH (E-1), Saxton River VT (E-4) covered the Bellows Falls station.
Crews began by venting the roof as hose lines were stretched to the 3rd floor. Crews faced heavy smoke and fire conditions on the 3rd floor and noticed that the fire had spread to the 2nd floor. After an aggressive attack, the fire was called under control at 7:31. Mutual aid companies started to return around 09:00.
There was only one minor injury reported. A firefighter suffered from a minor burn to his ear. The fire displaced about 20 people and the cause is still under investigation.
