A family was displaced, and a firefighter was transported to the hospital after a three-alarm fire in Rockland.
Fire Chief Scott Duffey says crews responded to 495 Salem Street around 4:45 yesterday afternoon.
“The first crews here, Lieutenant Jonathan Hickey was on the engine, he went to a working fire to get additional mutual aid help, and off-duty help responding to the scene,” said Duffey. “When I got on scene, we had heavy fire in the attic and on the second floor. Just with the personnel on scene and what was coming, I knew we were going to be strapped for personnel. I struck a second alarm probably within five minutes of being on scene.”
A firefighter was transported to the hospital by a Hingham ambulance for precautionary reasons due to heat exhaustion. Multiple firefighters were treated at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
Mutual aid included Abington, Hanover, Hanson, Whitman, Hingham, Weymouth, Holbrook, Randolph, a Pembroke ambulance to the scene, and Pembroke provided Rockland station coverage.
Due to the structure of the home, which was built before the 1900’s, Duffey says this was a difficult fire.
“What made it difficult was that the fire started in a hidden crawlspace up on the second floor, and quickly extended to the attic. Everything was above the second-floor living space. Crews had to go in, make their way, and find it. It was extremely hot, so they were taking a pretty hard beating when they were up there,” said Duffey. “A Rockland ladder crew was able to cut a hole in the roof, and that was able to get some of the heat and smoke vertically out of the house, which gave the guys on the second floor a cooler atmosphere to put the fire out.”
It took about 45 minutes to an hour to fully contain the fire.
The home is currently uninhabitable, but damage was mostly contained to the second floor and attic.
“The family lost a lot of valuables, a lot of clothing, personal items due to smoke, water, and some fire,” said Duffey. “Most of the fire damage was maintained to the attic, they’re probably going to have to reconstruct some of the roof. Crews did their best to protect and put tarps down for furniture and stuff that was on the first floor.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it does not appear to be suspicious.
