A fast-moving house fire tore through a Spencer home on Monday while a powerful nor’easter hammered central Massachusetts, sending several people to local hospitals and killing multiple pets. Firefighters pulled up to find thick smoke and visible flames and quickly ramped up the response as neighbors watched crews fight both the blaze and the whiteout conditions.
What officials reported about injuries and location
The Spencer Fire Department’s Facebook post, quoted in The Boston Globe, said six residents and one firefighter were transported to area hospitals. WHDH initially reported that six people were rushed to hospitals. Local coverage from Western Mass News noted that crews first spotted the fire on May Street as they pulled out of the station and saw a column of smoke rising into the storm.
How crews fought the blaze
Firefighters used a deck gun to hit the flames hard and struck a second alarm, which brought mutual-aid crews from Paxton, Leicester, East Brookfield, Brookfield and Southbridge to the scene, according to Boston 25 News. The department said the house was fully engulfed when crews arrived. The department also noted that extra staffing on duty because of the blizzard helped them mount that response, a point highlighted in its Facebook post cited by The Boston Globe.
Human and animal toll
Local outlets reported that several pets inside the home did not survive the fire. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, and officials have not released information about the conditions of those taken to hospitals, according to WHDH and regional television coverage.
Storm conditions complicated the response
The fire broke out as a bomb-cyclone nor’easter produced blizzard conditions across the Northeast, bringing heavy snow, strong winds and travel bans that made it tougher for emergency crews to get around. Weather coverage of the storm pointed to record snowfall totals and widespread disruptions, underscoring how firefighters were battling the elements at the same time they were battling the blaze, according to AccuWeather.
Spencer officials say the investigation is ongoing and that they will share more details when they can, according to local coverage. Neighboring departments are currently providing station coverage, while mutual-aid crews continue assessing the damage and helping affected families as the town begins to recover.
