A two-alarm fire tore through a home on Packard Road in Orange, Massachusetts, Tuesday night, leaving the structure a total loss and sending at least one person to the hospital. Flames and heavy smoke poured from the roof as crews worked the scene into the night, and the blaze burned for more than an hour before firefighters brought it under control.
According to Boston 25 News, the fire broke out around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, and one person was hospitalized afterward, though their current condition was not immediately available. The Greenfield Recorder reported the Orange Fire Department received the call about the fire at 9:37 p.m. and that a house at 236 Packard Road became engulfed in flames, while Western Mass News reported a fully involved structure fire at 196 Packard Road — the two outlets differ on the exact address.
Conflicting Accounts of Injuries
Reports diverge sharply on whether anyone was hurt. The Recorder quoted Orange Fire Chief Tim Matthews saying a resident was taken to Athol Hospital due to smoke inhalation, and WWLP similarly reported that one occupant was brought to Athol Hospital by ambulance to be treated for smoke inhalation. The Recorder said the other residents left safely.
WWLP also reported that five adults were displaced by the fire and that one dog died as a result. None of the accounts resolve exactly how many people were inside the home when the fire broke out, but the displacement and the loss of the dog underscore the scale of what the household lost overnight.
Roof and Front Exterior Destroyed
The damage to the home itself was extensive. The Recorder reported that the two-alarm fire destroyed the roof and a large portion of the house's front exterior, with Matthews telling the paper, “I would call it a complete loss.” Firefighters from at least 10 communities, including Orange, responded to help battle the flames, according to the same report.
Cause Still Disputed
Fire investigators have not reached a confirmed, agreed-upon cause. The Recorder reported that the cause remained under investigation, while WWLP reported that a preliminary investigation pointed to an unattended, uncontained outdoor fire on the property that spread to a nearby shed before extending to the residence. The two accounts have not been reconciled, and no additional official findings have been made public.
