On January 22, 2005, the City of Rutland Fire Department responded to an emergency 911 call of a reported cellar fire at 26 Curtis Ave. at 6:30 PM.
Upon arrival, the Engine 1 crew was directed to the back of structure. Heavy fire was coming from a first floor bathroom window extending up the backside of the structure.
The Engine 3 crew took the front - pulling lines into the front door where they found heavy fire and heat conditions in the first floor hallway. A General Alarm box was called for bringing in all off-duty City of Rutland firefighters.
Heavy snow and freezing temperatures (-3 degrees) made fire ground operations somewhat difficult.
Within minutes of arriving on scene the entire attic broke out into flames. When a large section of the roof gave way, building evacuation horns were sounded. Balloon frame construction and a delay in the reporting of the stubborn fire (no one home at the time) kept crews battling the blaze and checking for extension for several hours.
