NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 77

Residential
MASSACHUSETTS
Fire at condominium complex ignited
by unattended candle
A multiunit apartment complex was
destroyed by a fire that began when an
unattended candle ignited bedding in a
third-floor bedroom. Multiple fire departments
participated in fighting the blaze.
Firefighters were first alerted to the
fire at 12:17 p.m. when an apartment
occupant called 911. Arriving crews
reported heavy fire venting from the
entry to a rear balcony on the third
floor of a three-story apartment building.
Crews advanced an attack line to
the third floor and conducted a primary
search while encountering heavy
fire. A tower apparatus was positioned
at the front of the building, and ground
ladders were placed at every available
window on the second and third floors.
News reports indicated that wind
conditions led to rapid fire spread.
Crews inside the structure reported
flashover on the third floor, leading
to fire advancing through the roof.
All personnel were ordered out of the
building, and operations assumed an
exterior attack.
Crews used a master stream from
the tower to knock down heavy fire,
allowing crews to enter the structure
and reestablish interior attack. Efforts
to stop the fire from spreading through
open attic space were only successful
after crews opened walls in two units
of the third floor to cut off fire. News
reports indicated that firefighters
fought the fire for approximately two
hours.
Investigators reported that the building
was equipped with local smoke
detectors in individual units, with
detectors in hallways connected to a
municipal radio box system.
The structure was a wood construction
with an asphalt roof cover and
occupied a ground floor area of 16,000
square feet (1,486 square meters).
The fire caused an estimated $2.5
million in damage to the building and
its contents.
DISTRIBUTED IN EQUIPMENT
MANUFACTURED BY:
AMEREX CORPORATION
Tel: 205-655-3271
amerex- re.com
BADGER FIRE PROTECTION
Tel: 800-446-3857
badger re.com
BUCKEYE FIRE EQUIPMENT
Tel: 800-438-1028
buckeyef.com
KIDDE RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
Tel: 800-654-9677
kidde.com
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM:
* CENTENNIAL ENTERPRISES
* FIRE-ENGINE IMPERIAL
* GUNNEBO INDIA PRIVATE
* GUNNEBO INDONESIA
* HASEEN HABIB
* H3R
* KOREAN PACIFIC / YOOKSONG
* LEHAVOT FIRE PROTECTION
* LINGJACK ENGINEERING WORKS
* PALMER ASIA
* SAFECRAFT SAFETY EQUIPMENT
* SAUDI FACTORY FOR FIRE EQUIP.
Oshkosh Truck, USA | Tel: 920-233-9400 | oshkosharff.com
E-One Inc., USA | Tel: 352-237-1122 | E-One.com
Fire Combat Inc., USA | Tel: 715-735-9058 | recombat.com
Rosenbauer, USA | Tel: 651-462-1000 | rosenbaueramerica.com
Halotron BrX Clean Agent is available from Amerex Corporation,
Kidde Aerospace & Defense, Protection RT, and umlaut engineering GmbH
Halotron II Clean Agent is available from Presto (Sweden)
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 77

http://www.buckeyef.com http://www.kidde.com http://www.oshkosharff.com http://www.E-One.com http://www.recombat.com http://www.rosenbaueramerica.com http://halotron.com http://halotron.com http://nfpa.org/journal

NFPA Journal - Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Spring 2022