DRACUT — Chief Richard Patterson reports that the Dracut Fire Department extinguished a two-alarm fire in a home on Nashua Road on Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, at approximately 3:34 p.m., the Dracut Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a dryer fire at 232 Nashua Road that spread from the dryer to the basement.
Engine 3 was the first company to arrive at the scene, and found heavy smoke showing from the single-family Cape-style home. A second alarm was struck to bring additional manpower to the scene.
The crew of Engine 3 quickly stretched a hose line into the home’s basement and attacked the fire from inside the home, knocking the fire down by about 4:15 p.m. Labor intensive work to open walls and ensure the fire had not spread remained to be done, and an additional engine company beyond the second alarm was called to the scene.
“The first due company — Engine 3 — responded quickly and did a great job of getting a hose line into the basement to attack the seat of the fire,” said Chief Patterson.
Fire damage was contained to the home’s basement, but there was significant smoke damage throughout the home.
Three pet cats lost their lives in the fire, but a pet dog escaped unharmed. There were no reported injuries.
A family of eight was displaced by the fire, and the American Red Cross of Massachusetts responded to provide assistance to the family.
Firefighters from Lowell, Tyngsborough, and Hudson and Pelham, N.H., provided mutual aid at the scene, and chief officers from Tyngsborough and Pelham and Hudson, N.H., also assisted at the scene.
Off-duty Dracut firefighters and firefighters from Methuen and Nashua, N.H. covered Dracut stations during the fire.
This was the fourth working fire Dracut firefighters have responded to this week, and the second fire where there were no working smoke detectors in a home where a fire occurred.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of working smoke detectors,” added Chief Patterson. “Smoke detectors help to alert homeowners to fire much earlier, and are invaluable at helping us minimize damage and injuries from fires.”
The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation by the Dracut Fire Department, but the fire appears to be accidental in nature.