Douglas, MA – Fire dispatch toned out companies to respond to 156 Maple St. for a reported chimney fire around 12:20, a.m on Dec. 20. during the beginning of a blizzard.
Several inches of snow had already fallen on the area as the alarm of fire was struck. As the on duty crew responded with six personnel, fire dispatch radioed that the home owner is now reporting that the house was involved.
A Douglas police officer confirmed it was a working dwelling fire. The occupants were safely outside the structure. Hand lines were stretched into operation through the “D” side entrance into a 30x20 addition.
Firefighters encountered heavy smoke, fire, and heat and had to withdraw due to the rapid spread of the fire. The fire was soon advancing to the second floor and through the roof of the addition impinging on the main dwelling. The lack of a water supply hampered firefighters for a short while as tankers were placed into a water shuttle operation.
A drop tank was placed at the intersection of Monroe and Maple Streets and Uxbridge Engine 2 feed Douglas through a 5” LDH line to the dwelling. A tanker shuttle operation was placed into operation via several nearby Massachusetts and Rhode Island fire departments. Heavy snow and wind hampered firefighters using six lines on all sides of the dwelling attempting to knock the heavy fire.
The entire roof line of the main dwelling and addition were well involved in fire at this time. The bulk of the heavy fire was knocked around 3:30 a.m.
