Charlton, MA – Fire crews from multiple towns battled a 3rd Alarm blaze in a Boucher Dr home early Sunday morning.
According to the Charlton Fire Department, at approximately 3:39 a.m. on Sunday, March 24th, 2024, the resident of 13 Boucher Dr called Charlton Fire Headquarters reporting a chimney fire in the home. The information was relayed to dispatch and Engine 1 (E1) and Tower 1 began responding to the address.
A Charlton Police Officer arrived on the scene within 5 minutes of the dispatch and reported the fire had extended to the roofline and the structure was now on fire.
A full 1st alarm assignment, which calls back off-duty personnel, was ordered before the arrival of the first apparatus. Upon arrival of Charlton E1, a working structure fire was declared with heavy fire showing from the roof of a 2-story residential structure. A 2nd Alarm was immediately struck for Box 2403 (Charlton is broken up into 5 districts identifiable by their fire alarm box number) bringing in multiple mutual aid companies.
E1 rapidly deployed a handline, knocking down a large amount of visible fire from the exterior before companies pushed inside to the 2nd floor to attack the fire at the source. As the Engine company stretched its line, Tower 1 navigated the narrow roadway and setup in the driveway to give ladder access to the roof.
Due to the lack of hydrants in the area, and the narrow roadway, a rural hitch and approximately 900′ of LDH (Large Diameter Hose) was laid from the base of Boucher Rd to the fire scene. This supply line allowed tankers to shuttle between a water supply, established in a pond on Carroll Hill Rd, and mutual aid engines feeding the rural hitch.
Crews worked for approximately 2 hours to extinguish the fire, which had extended throughout the attic space, and overhaul the home before the fire was placed under control.
All occupants were able to safely make it out of the home uninjured and are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
One firefighter received medical treatment for injuries sustained in a fall due to the icy conditions but was released on the scene.
The fire is under investigation by the Massachusetts District 7 Fire Investigation Unit and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshals Office. Damage to the home and its contents is estimated at $400,000.
Agencies that responded to the incident included the Charlton Fire Department, Auburn Fire Department, Webster Fire/Rescue, Dudley Fire Department, Southbridge Fire Department, Oxford Fire Department, Sturbridge Fire Department, Leicester Fire Department, Spencer EMS, Sutton Fire Department, Webster EMS, District 7 FIU, Massachusetts State Fire Marshals Office, and the Charlton Police Department.