Pictures taken by Kevin White
Eagle Tribune
LAWRENCE - Firefighters were hampered by a faulty hydrant and the cold as they worked to put out a blaze in a triple decker, leaving 12 people homeless late yesterday afternoon. The Red Cross provided food, clothing and shelter for the eight adults and four children who lived at 328 Jackson St., near the Methuen line. A third-floor tenant was taken to Lawrence General Hospital for minor injuries related to the fire. "We're trying to determine if they need a place to stay, and if they do, we're there for them," Red Cross spokesman Jay Foley said while the blaze was still underway. Later, he said all 12 would be staying in hotel rooms. The three-alarm fire broke out shortly before 4 p.m. Lawrence firefighters arrived to find flames on the second and third floors of the home, with the rear of the third floor completely engulfed, fire Chief Peter Takvorian said. Crews began their attack from inside and on the roof of the home. But a faulty hydrant, possibly leaking, left firefighters with a shortage of water at first. The fire spread through the area between the third-floor ceiling and roof. Crews were forced to pull out within 20 minutes, as the third-floor roof collapsed into the building. "Because we had fire in so many places, our crews were spread thin," Takvorian said. Once outside, and after trucks had been connected to water, firefighters sprayed down the top floors and roof, even as boards and shingles fell to the ground. Gerdrudis Adames, who owns the house and lives on the first floor, was arriving home from work when she saw the commotion. The third-floor resident had already escaped the home by then. "I went upstairs and there was smoke and I ran out," Adames said.Flames reflected in the windows of neighboring homes as firefighters worked, but Takvorian said there was no danger to the neighbors. Evelyn Garcia and her cousin Giselle Dutierrez, both 13, were in a bedroom next door when they looked outside and saw the flames. The girls had one word for the experience - "Scary." Takvorian said firefighters face dangerous conditions when they work in the cold. "We have frostbite hazards. We also have slipping problems on ice," he said. The Red Cross provided bottled water and other drinks for firefighters on scene. Fire investigators last night had not determined how the blaze started. Lawrence police and auxiliary police were on scene and blocked Jackson Street so firefighters could work. A crowd of more than 50 people gathered in the cold to watch. The blaze was under control by 6 p.m. Firefighters from Methuen, Lowell and Andover took Lawrence's other calls during the fire. "It appears to be an accidental fire, but it is still under investigation," Capt. Robert Higgins said last night. The third floor was totally destroyed," he said.
Published:
02/15/2007
Jackson Street fire an accident
By Jim Patten Eagle Tribune Staff Writer
LAWRENCE - The three-alarm fire that heavily damaged a three-decker at 328 Jackson St. Tuesday afternoon began accidentally in a third floor bedroom in a pile of clothing that was stacked too close to an electric space heater being used to warm the room, investigators said.
Fire Capt. William Lannon said yesterday the fast moving fire began in the pile of clothing, then caught the curtains in the bedroom and then the room itself.
He said Herman Calle, a resident of the apartment, was in the bedroom watching television and dozing.
Calle awoke to the smoke alarms and spotted the flames in the corner, then tried unsuccessfully to smother the flames with a towel before summoning help.
Calle was treated for minor burns to his hand at Lawrence General Hospital, Lannon said. No other injuries were reported.
Twelve people were left homeless by the blaze.
