Published December 10, 2020
Updated from the print edition December 10 at 1:30 p.m.
NORTH READING — An off-duty police sergeant is being hailed a hero after assisting three residents to safety from their burning home in an early morning fire on Tuesday.
At approximately 1 a.m. December 8, North Reading Police received a 911 call from a motorist traveling on Lowell Road who reported seeing a porch on fire at a home near Walgreens. The dispatcher immediately transferred the call to the Fire Department and North Reading firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
North Reading Police Sgt. Thomas Encarnacao had just finished his shift and was on his way home, according to Fire Chief Don Stats and Police Chief Michael Murphy.
Encarnacao was driving down Lowell Road near the area of the fire when he noticed flames coming from the side of the house at 30 Lowell Road. He then radioed his location to North Reading dispatch and informed them that there were flames coming from the west side of the home.
The sergeant then made entry into the home to alert the residents. He first located a man who was sleeping on a couch located at the front of the house and helped him outside to safety.
North Reading Patrol Officers Nick Amirault and Sean Lawson also arrived on the scene to assist. The man who had been helped to safety told the officers that there was another resident in the basement of the home. The officers found a bulkhead door and made entry. They alerted the second resident but could not immediately locate him. The man eventually made his way upstairs and out the front door.
The North Reading Fire Department arrived when officers were bringing the second resident outside and found heavy fire on the left side of the house. Upon firefighters’ arrival, the two residents informed them that a 13-year-old boy was sleeping in the back bedroom of the home.
Police and fire personnel removed a window screen in the bedroom and found the boy standing by the window in a smoke-filled room. Officers and firefighters pulled the boy out through the window to safety.
The firefighters assigned to Engine 3, including Capt. Eric Pepper and Firefighters Mike Tannian, Nick Carney and Adam Salemme, then worked to knock down the fire, preventing it from spreading further through the house and attic area.
All three residents were evaluated by EMS at the scene, but declined transport to the hospital. No firefighters were injured. One officer suffered a cut to his hand while attempting to breach a basement window.
The town’s Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Wilmington Fire Department while the Middleton Fire Department responded to provide station coverage.
The North Reading Police Department also assisted with traffic and closed the area of Lowell Road while crews worked. The scene was cleared at approximately 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The house sustained smoke, fire and water damage. The three residents were displaced and are being assisted by family members.
“The work of the three officers this morning was truly courageous, and I am incredibly proud of them,” Chief Murphy said on Tuesday. “Sgt. Encarnacao took decisive and immediate action, which very likely saved the lives of the residents inside the house. Once he got the first resident out, all three officers went back into the house — without protective gear — to look for additional residents. Their actions to get all of the residents out safely was truly heroic.”
“We are proud to work closely with the North Reading Police Department, and this is an example of how our departments work together to serve our community and save lives,” Chief Stats said.
“We are thankful that Sgt. Encarnacao was in the right place at the right time, and was able to use those extra minutes that he was on the scene to alert the residents and assist in getting them out,” added Chief Stats. “Just a few minutes can make the difference in a fire, and I have no doubt that his efforts were life-saving.”
Smoke alarms save lives
This was the third fire in the last month to which North Reading Fire and Police have responded. “The tragic loss of life was averted in all three for different reasons, but functioning smoke alarms were a common theme in each case,” stated Stats. “The North Reading Fire Department would like to remind residents of the critical importance of ensuring smoke alarms are working, and always investigating when they sound unexpectedly.”
The origin and cause of the fire remains under investigation by the North Reading Fire and Police departments and the office of the State Fire Marshal.
UPDATE FROM STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE
(Published December 10, 2020 at 1:15 p.m.
Smoking materials cause of house fire
NORTH READING — Improper use or disposal of smoking materials was determined to be the cause of the fire at 30 Lowell Road, according to State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey. Damage is estimated to be $50,000.
According to the Fire Marshal’s office, the fire originated on a side porch where several of the residents frequently smoked and disposed of cigarettes in a plastic planter adjacent to the building. Other possible causes were ruled out.
“Working smoke alarms are your first line of defense in a fire, where time is your enemy,” stated Chief Stats. “It is crucial to respond immediately to that early warning as you may have less than three minutes to escape the average house fire.”
The fire chief added, “Practice your home escape plan. Make sure you have and know two ways out of every room, and have a meeting place outside.”
“Smoking is a leading cause of fire deaths. Learn to be a responsible smoker. Put it out. All the way. Every time,” advised Ostroskey. “Use a large sturdy ashtray and empty it into a metal container with sand or water; don’t use plastic containers or dried out potted plants that can catch fire.”
The Department of Fire Services has a public awareness campaign on the proper disposal of smoking materials that can be found at: www.mass.gov/service-details/smoking-fire-safety designed to communicate this important fire safety message in a humorous way.
North Reading investigators, North Reading detectives and State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal jointly investigated this fire.
