Dudley, MA — Seven people were displaced Friday after a fire apparently engulfed a rear porch and extended into a two-family residence built in 1907.

At approximately 12:54 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026, a first alarm was struck for the Dudley Fire Department to respond to 10 West Street for a reported structure fire. A first alarm consists of Dudley’s on-duty crew — one deputy chief and two firefighters at the time of the fire — along with call-back personnel.

While crews were responding, Deputy Chief Spahl spotted a column of smoke from a distance and upgraded the assignment to a working fire, bringing mutual aid crews from Webster and Oxford to the scene and cover companies to Dudley Fire Headquarters. Minutes later, the deputy chief arrived and reported heavy fire from the second floor of a 2½-story wood-frame multifamily residence, prompting a second alarm for additional resources.

Dudley Engine 2 arrived shortly after — staffed with a call-back engineer and the two on-duty firefighters — and immediately stretched attack lines to the rear porch, which was well involved. The initial attack crew was able to knock down the bulk of the fire on the porch and in the rear portion of the residence.

Crews then worked for approximately 40 minutes extinguishing pockets of fire burning in difficult-to-access areas of the 1907 building.

Throughout the incident, crews utilized hydrants within one block of the building on two sides of the scene to ensure an adequate water supply.

Despite the rapid knockdown of the main body of fire, the building sustained significant damage, displacing three adults and four children from the two apartments. The American Red Cross was requested to assist the displaced residents.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office.

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