Lawrence, MA 3rd Alarm - 87-89 Saunders St - 12/24/16

A single call to the Police reporting a house fire on Saunders St prompted Lawrence Fire Alarm to send out Box 2111 for 89 Saunders St. An initial response of Engines 5, 7, 9 and Ladder 5 were dispatched with Rescue 1 and Car 21 Deputy McInnis on a slight delay being tied up at a rollover MVA.

Engine 7 arrived to smoke showing from the eaves of a large 2.5 story wood frame. With reports of possible people in the building or refusing to leave, C21 requested Ladder 4 to the scene over the working fire assignment with a 2nd alarm requested shortly thereafter. Firefighters ran an initial attack line to floor 2 with a backup line to floor 3 run in an attempt to make an aggressive interior attack on the fire. But the fire had already extended into the 3rd floor with a heavy fire condition. A 3rd alarm was transmitted for additional manpower and a decision was made to back companies out of the 3rd floor and subsequently out of the entire structure to transition to a defensive attack with multiple big lines and 2 ladder pipes off Ladders 4 and 5. The reports of people either in or refusing to leave the building went unfounded as all known occupants were accounted for outside. The fire consumed the entire 3rd floor and burned thru the roof before firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control.

Mutual Aid manpower from Methuen, Dracut, Andover, North Andover, Lowell and Haverhill assisted at the scene while additional companies from Middleton, North Reading, Danvers and Salem NH provided city fire coverage. The fire is still under investigation at this time.