A single 911 call from a passerby was the only notification the Chicopee Fire Department received for a 7:42 a.m. structure fire that left two dead on Oct. 18.
Engine 8 advised companies responding that he had a column of thick black smoke visible roughly a quarter-mile away from the scene on Montcalm Street.
Firefighters where confronted with a ranch-style dwelling that was one story on the Alpha side of the structure and 1 1/2 stories on the Charlie side, with a walk out basement.
Members initially stretched hand lines to the entrance on side Alpha for an interior attack on the fire and to locate the two victims who were still inside the building.
Thick, trubulent smoke pushing from other doors and windows on all four sides of the dwelling, and heavy fire conditions forced the incident commander to back out and switch to a defensive attack.
Multiple large caliber handlines were then stretched to sides Alpha, Delta and Charlie to attack the main body of fire.
The fire was marked under control two hours after the inital alarm but companies remained on scene for the rest of the morning dousing hot spots from the exterior of the building, unable to enter the structure due to a compromised ridge beam in the attic and weakened floor joists.
