MA Crews Battle Blaze That Guts Two-Family Home
SPRINGFIELD, MA - An early morning fire destroyed a two-family home in the city’s Bay neighborhood Thursday, leaving nine residents in need of shelter, a fire official said.
The 2½-story home at 17-19 Edgewood St. is considered a complete loss. Fire gutted the upper floors and roof.
Capt. Drew Piemonte, aide to fire commissioner Bernard J. Calvi, said the nine residents from two families are being assisted by the Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Red Cross.
One firefighter suffered a minor ankle injury.
Piemonte said the fire was reported around 12:45 a.m. It began somewhere in the rear of the structure and quickly spread to the second floor and attic. Firefighters were forced to fight an external attack on the fire because it became too dangerous to enter the building.
It took around 45 minutes to bring the fire under control, and firefighters remained on the scene until around 9 a.m.
It is not clear whether the fire started on the inside or outside of the building or how.
The city Arson and Bomb Squad is investigating.
Piemonte said the fire department ran into problems with water pressure from the hydrants in the vicinity of Edgewood Street. To bring sufficient water to the scene, four pumper trucks were needed to draw water from State Street lines roughly a half-mile away.
“There were hoses everywhere,” he said.
This required additional equipment and personnel, and necessitated the fire department calling a third alarm, and then requesting mutual aid from surrounding communities. Assistance was provided by Chicopee, Longmeadow, West Springfield, Agawam and the Westover Air Reserve Base fire department.
Fire officials plan to notify the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission to inspect the hydrant lines in the area, he said.
According to city records, the home was built in 1909, and had an assessed value of $181,000. The owner is listed as JJJ17 LLC of Springfield.
©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit masslive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.