Saturday Morning Fire Drives Family Out of House

At 9:50 AM on Saturday, February 5, 2005, the emergency communications center received a cellular 9-1-1 transfer call from the State Police communications center reporting a house fire in Southborough. The call dropped before an address could be obtained. An immediate 9-1-1 call from a neighbor reported the house fire at 70 Newton Street. Fire apparatus was immediately dispatched to the scene.  Off-duty full-time firefighter James Pelter was at the intersection of Newton & East Main Streets when the call was sounded. He drove to the scene (while working for Care Ambulance Company) and called dispatch via cell phone to report a "working fire". FF Peltier made sure that all occupants were safely out of the house, then assisted first-arriving on-duty firefighters Lt. Victor Robidoux, Firefighter Peter J. Phaneuf, Captain Joseph Hubley and Firefighter Mark Sadowski in attacking the fire. Firefighters from Marlborough and Ashland were called to the scene by Chief John Mauro, and Framingham Fire provided an engine to cover Southborough.

The fire, in a one-story single family house, caused heavy fire, heat and smoke damage to the house and contents. The American Red Cross is assisting the occupants with clothing and housing.

There were no injuries.

An occupant of the house was communicating with her husband, a National Guardsman stationed in Iraq, via computer when the fire started.

The cause of the fire has been determined to be children playing with a lighter and candle.

A total of 12 Southborough Firefighters (four on-duty, seven on-call, and the fire chief) responded to fight the fire.  Off-duty Captain Joseph Mauro, and Police Sergeant Sean James, assisted by Trooper Timothy Bombard of the State Fire Marshal's Fire Investigation Unit investigated the cause of the fire.

Fire Department Chaplain Fr. Craig Lister as well as Southborough's Trauma Network members David Dockstader and Susan Chorey assisted the displaced fire.

Smoke emits from the bedroom where the fire started at 70 Newton Street.

Firefighters are attacking the fire from inside.

A ladder is in place to ventilate the roof.

Firefighters crawl under the smoke through the front door.

Zero visibility as firefighters enter the house.

A firefighter feeds hose to the others inside.

Firefighters relocate a ladder against the house as the interior fire attack crew "power-vents" the room where the fire started.

A Marlborough firefighter (foreground) ventilates a window while the roof ladder is being set up.

As the fire starts to enter the attic from below, firefighters ventilate the roof above to draw out the fire, heat and smoke.

Lieutenant Skip Hubley and Lieutenant Kevin Moran open up the roof with a saw.

A Marlborough firefighter secures the ladder as the fire room is ventilated.

Firefighters working on the roof (John Kendall photo)

Smoke and heat ventilates from the attic while firefighters inside work to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading into the attic (John Kendall photo)

Firefighters on the roof and on the ground (John Kendall photo)

Newton Street was closed due to hoses across the road, and apparatus parked in the street (John Kendall photo)

A Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) (right) from Ashland Fire Department stands ready to assist and firefighters that receive injuries or are trapped (John Kendall photo)

Southborough's ambulances stand by on scene (John Kendall photo)

Captain Joseph Hubley exist the house (John Kendall photo)