Published in the February 1, 2021 edition.
WAKEFIELD — A Water Street couple and their dog escaped injury but will be displaced for awhile after their home sustained heavy smoke damage in a two-alarm fire early Sunday morning.
The Fire Department took a 911 call reporting a fire at 360 Water St. just before 4:15 a.m. on Sunday. On arrival, firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from the house and were able to see flames through the front bedroom window. The two residents and their dog were able to get out safely thanks to working smoke detectors.
A second alarm was struck at 4:30 a.m., bringing fire engines from Stoneham, Melrose, Reading and North Reading to the scene. Firefighters brought a hose up the driveway and through the back door and were able to knock the fire down and confine it to the bedroom area.
Due to the damage to the home, the residents will be displaced and are staying with family, Fire Chief Michael Sullivan said.
Because the cause was not immediately apparent, the state Fire Marshal was brought in. Sullivan said that the home had a wood stove that was vented through a chimney that went up through the center of the house. The “cleanout” for the chimney was not protected and faced the bedroom closet, he said. It is believed that the fire was caused by a metal plate on the cleanout overheating.
Chief Sullivan praised fire crews for their quick work. They were able to knock the fire down in about 30 minutes. The DPW responded and spread sand on the roadway and up to the house as water from the firehoses was freezing quickly in the frigid temperatures.
Fire crews from Lynnfield, Woburn and Saugus covered the town while Wakefield Fire was battling the blaze.
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Most of the other public safety news over the weekend involved automobile accidents.
Just after 3 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a reported crash in the area of North Avenue and Albion Street. According to police, a 2020 Jeep Wrangler driven by a New Hampshire man was coming out of a parking lot and struck a 2005 Mercury Marquis operated by a Wakefield man that was traveling on Albion Street.
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At about 2:30 on Sunday afternoon, police went to North Avenue and Chestnut Street for another crash. Police said that a 2019 Jeep Renegade driven by a Melrose man was traveling north on North Avenue when it was struck by a 2020 Chevy Traverse driven by a Wakefield man that was coming out of Chestnut Street. The Chevy driver was cited for a “Stop” sign violation.
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At about 3:45 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to a crash on Eastern Avenue. According to police, a 2019 Dodge 1500 driven by a Wakefield man was stopped on the side of the road and was pulling out into traffic when it hit a 2010 Acura TL driven by a Wakefield man. The driver of the Dodge was cited for failure to yield to oncoming traffic.
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The Fire Department responded to a total of 26 calls over the weekend. Fourteen of those were for medical aid. The remaining non-medical calls involved burst pipes, a natural gas leak and several accidental or malfunctioning alarm systems.
