A two-alarm fire caused extensive damage to a home in Norwell.
Fire Chief Jeff Simpson says there are no injuries, and the cause of the fire appears to be electrical. Numerous towns responded to the scene at 6 Neal Gate Drive around 5:49 p.m. on Sunday.
Mike Breen, the homeowner, said was doing yard work when his wife, Holly, alerted him to a fire under their basement dryer. Breen said he grabbed a fire extinguisher.
“All of a sudden I heard a poof, and there were flames. It was really bellowing bad,” said Breen. “We got the dog [Koko], my daughter, and Holly and we all ran out. We called the fire department. By the time they came, the house was full of smoke.”
Chief Simpson said four firefighters were on duty Sunday when they were called. Two firefighters responded from the Norwell Central Fire Station and a second crew responded from Route 53. Deputy Chief Dave Kean arrived on scene and called a working fire assignment.
“We had fire in the walls, the fire did extend to the first floor. Crews did a great job chasing the fire,” said Simpson. “It just took a lot of work. Everybody did a fantastic job, especially the first crews that arrived on scene.”
With exhausted crews, a second alarm was called to help with the overhaul process. Mutual aid from Scituate, Hingham, Cohasset, Marshfield, Hanover, and members from Rockland responded to the scene.
“They had the fire knocked down within the first half hour to 45 minutes, but it was chasing hot spots and isolating fire that was in the walls and in the ceilings,” said Simpson. “That took a little bit of time, probably an hour and a half, to two hours.”
Simpson says the home is currently inhabitable, with extensive heat, smoke, and water damage.
“Thankfully there were no injuries to report, and the family was able to get out safely,” said Simpson. “To us, that’s the most important thing.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshall’s Office.
Numerous towns responded to the fire at 6 Neal Gate Street in Norwell. Photo credit: Lenny Rowe.
