DRACUT — Chief Richard Patterson reports that the Dracut Fire Department extinguished a working fire in a 10-unit apartment complex on Broadway Road Thursday.
On Thursday, Jan. 4, at 9:43 a.m., the Dracut Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a structure fire at 253 Broadway Road, and moments later the department also received an automatic fire alarm notification for the condominium complex via the municipal fire alarm system.
Chief Patterson was the first to arrive at the scene at 9:46 a.m., where he discovered smoke showing from the rear of the 10-unit condominium complex and declared a working fire.
Fire was located in the basement of the building, extending across the ceiling and into the first floor. Companies made a quick and aggressive interior attack on the fire and knocked it down before it spread from the room of origin.
The fire was declared under control at 10:31 a.m.
Residents of the building all evacuated on their own after the building’s fire alarms began sounding. There were no reported injuries. The American Red Cross of Massachusetts is assisting four residents who were displaced as a result of the fire.
“The quick aggressive interior attack by the members of the first alarm companies kept this fire to the unit of origin. It very quickly could have extended to other units,” said Chief Patterson. “The rapid notification by phone and automatic alarm played a key part in controlling the fire in its early stages.”
The fire was accidental in nature, but it’s exact cause remains under investigation by the Dracut Fire Department Investigation Unit.