The fire broke out at 216 Main St. in Fairhaven Saturday evening, shortly before 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2026, drawing several fire trucks as crews worked to knock down the blaze. The fire tore through the house, which was declared a total loss.
WJAR reported that firefighters battled the flames at the Main Street address while multiple trucks lined up outside. The station reported that fire officials had not yet provided details on how the fire started. WJAR also reported that the father suffered minor injuries after running back inside to try to save the family's pets. The home itself is a roughly 1,850-square-foot house built around 1900, sitting on a 5,227-square-foot lot, according to a Realtor.com listing for the property — the kind of older wood-frame construction that can pose distinct fire propagation risks because of its building materials and framing.
Fire Cause Remains Under Investigation
Massachusetts law requires local fire chiefs and municipal officials to investigate the origin and cause of any fire that causes property damage or injury, under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 148, Section 2, according to Mass.gov. The fire's cause remained under investigation.
The response fell to the Fairhaven Fire Department, which operates under Chief Todd Correia and Provisional Deputy Chief Josh Benoit out of its complex at 146 Washington Street.
A Department With Recent Experience in Major Responses
This isn't the department's first high-profile call in recent years. Fairhaven firefighters previously doused a major fire aboard an 82-foot vessel in Fairhaven Harbor in February 2024, caused by a welding accident, using specialized foam and water to put it out without injuries — a response Hoodline previously covered. The department also provided mutual aid in December 2024 during a Christmas morning fire in neighboring Acushnet that destroyed a multi-family home and killed two people.
When Fairhaven's full-time crews are pulled away for mutual aid calls in neighboring towns, off-duty firefighters must be recalled to staff local stations, adding to municipal costs, according to union representatives cited by Firehouse Magazine. Fairhaven also has an emergency mutual-aid relationship with neighboring New Bedford.
No information has been released about who lived at the Main Street home. WJAR reported that the father suffered minor injuries after running back into the house to try to save the family's pets. Hoodline will update this story as fire officials release additional details on the cause and extent of the damage.
