A historic house on Wheatland Street in Peabody, Massachusetts, was enveloped by a large fire earlier today, with responders brought in to battle this significant blaze. The 8-bedroom, 5-bathroom residence, built in 1919, reported the fire at around 11:00 a.m. according to NBC Boston.
The gusty conditions of this day intensified the fire, making the control and extinguishment efforts very challenging for the firefighters. One resident, however, managed to escape unharmed as Boston25 News reports. The Peabody Fire Chief, John Dowling, spoke to the intense flames seen in the attic, resulting in the withdrawal of firefighters to fight the fire from the exterior. He stated, "The house took right off."
While still under investigation, preliminary reports suggest that the fire began outside of the home before it made its way inside as reported by Boston25 News. Traces of the fire's ferocity could be seen through the significant charring and burning on the back porch. Viewed from Sky5, heavy smoke could be seen billowing out from the three-story home, with firefighters on ladders trying to vent the blazing property, as their attempts eventually led to a section of the house's collapse according to WCVB.
