On Harrison Street, firefighters from Stoneham and Melrose worked together to quell a house blaze reported by a local woman on Friday evening. The joint efforts were confirmed by Chief Matthew Grafton and Chief Ed Collina, according to a release on the Stoneham Fire Department's official site. Rushing home before the clock struck 7:30 PM, the lady found her abode alarmingly awash with smoke, which led her to seek help from across the street.
Upon dialing 911, the resident's call was picked up by the Melrose Fire Department due to the house's proximity to the city limits. Arriving firefighters were greeted by thick smoke enveloping the structure, but their quick action confined the fire to the basement, which is suspected to be where the fire sprouted its flames.
The battle against the inferno escalated as a second alarm of fire was struck, a measure which saw additional mutual aid streaming in. The fierce fire was extinguished in under a quarter of an hour. Despite the abrupt assault by fire, no injuries were sustained by the lone human occupant or the responding firefighters; though, a cat was discovered to have perished in the aftermath.
"This was a good example of the natural teamwork that exists among our fire departments in the Metro Boston region," Chief Collina cited, as mentioned by Stoneham Fire Department's official site. Station coverage during this scene was managed by squads from Wakefield, Malden, Saugus, Everett, and Revere Fire Departments.
The charred abode incurred damages estimated by the fire chiefs to be around $150,000. The cause of the fire was still under investigation by the Melrose Fire Department.
