An empty house at the corner of Central Street and Somerville Avenue was apparently torched early morning on October 31st, 2011. Members of Group 3 responded.
Just before midnight on May 30th, 2011, Group 4 responded to a building fire at 36 Rush Street in East Somerville. First arriving companies were met with heavy fire conditions. The fire took full possession of the top floor forcing companies back. The fire was under control in just over an hour.
The members of Group 4 battled a fast moving 3 Alarm fire just after noontime on Monday January 17th at # 65 Fairfax Street. Sadly, a woman in her 70's and her adult son perished in the blaze. A recent snow storm hampered firefighters as they had difficulty finding fire hydrants because of high snowbanks and some of the hydrants that they did locate were frozen. It is believed that a space heater may have caused this fatal fire. (Photos below by Ryan Epps - SFD)
On December 7, 2010, members of Group 3 responded to a reported partial building collapse at 14 Thorndike Street. Engine 7, Ladder 3 and C3 responded. The building in question was a 2 1/2 story, vacant dwelling undergoing extensive renovation and had been posted as unsafe. Arriving firefighters found that the front gable portion of the house had collapsed onto a small flat roof on the "D" side of the building. The interior of the building was completely gutted with no interior stairway. Firefighters were informed of an injured worker that had been struck by the falling roof section and was laid out on the small roof. Members of Engine 7 gained access to the roof via an extension ladder on site and began to treat a male with a serious head injury. Ladder Three worked to stabilize the section of fallen roof with a rope, access their stokes basket and place two ground ladders into position inside the house for extrication of the patient. Cataldo Paramedics arrived and assisted Engine 7 in treating and stabilizing the victim. The victim was moved off the roof through a window and then lowered down ground ladders to the first floor.
Members of Group 3 battled a 2 Alarm Fire at # 12 Fisk Avenue just before midnight on Monday September 6th, 2010. (Photos below by Firefighter Ryan Epps - SFD)
Firefighter Billy Costa of Ladder 2 prepares to open the roof.
Firefighter Billy Costa ventilates the roof, backed up by Firefighter Bob Hodnett.
Deputy Chief David Salvi directs a mutual aid company.
Firefighter Derek Nolan ventilates a 1st floor window as fire burns through the exterior wall behind him.
Firefighter Sly Moore, who was backing up Ladder 3's crew on the roof, backs down the ladder as the room next to him lights up.
Engine 2's crew arrives and goes to work. (L to R Lt. Bob Wilker and Firefighter Mike Khoury).
Ladder 2 and Ladder 3's crews ventilate the roof. L to R: Capt. Bill Hallinan, FF Mike Jefferson, FF Bob Hodnett, FF Jack Fitzgerald and FF Billy Costa.
Engine 2's crew (Lt. Bob Wilker & FF Mike Khoury) throw a ground ladder to the second floor.
Firefighter Jack Fitzgerald ventilates a second floor window.
On Saturday July 10th, the City of Somerville was slammed with a torrential downpour of rain. Within minutes, many streets in the City became flooded. The Rt. 28 underpass on McGrath Highway heading toward the Assembly Square Mall began to fill up rapidly, trapping multiple cars as they were traveling through the tunnel. Off-duty Firefighter Mike Marino (E-1/Gr.2) was leaving the nearby Stop & Shop when he noticed the flooded tunnel and a motorist trapped on top of her car. With the water level rising to 18 feet inside the tunnel and the motorist screaming for help, Firefighter Marino swam out to her to try to keep her calm as they waited for additional response.
(Photos below courtesy of Mark Garfinkel/Boston Herald)
Stranded motorist Christine Broderick screams for help from atop the roof of her car.
A State Police Trooper standing in the water radioes for additional help as off-duty Firefighter Mike Marino arrives at the entrance of the tunnel.
Mike Marino reaches Christine Broderick and tries to calm her down.
Marino and Broderick are pulled back to safety after they are thrown a life ring.
Lt. Mike Anzalone and Firefighter Bobby Galvin Jr. of Engine 1 attempt to get an additional Rescue Disc out to Marino and Broderick.
Firefighter Jack Beckwith of Engine 1 enters the water to help pull Christine to safety.
Mass State Police Troopers along with Lt. Mike Anzalone (far right) of Engine 1, assist Jack Beckwith with bringing Christine Broderick to safety.
A member of the State Police scans the tunnel for additional people who may be trapped. No one else was trapped in the tunnel.
Mike Marino takes a moment to catch his breath after rescuing Christine Broderick.
Firefighter Mike Marino and Christine Roderick are reunited at the scene after they had been cleaned up and put on clean, dry clothes.
Firefighters from Group 4 responded to a porch fire at # 111 Glenwood Road on Sunday June 27th. First arriving companies found heavy fire engulfing the 1st and 2nd floor in the front of the house. They were alerted to two residents trapped on upper floors hanging out of windows on the side of the house. Companies quickly raised ground ladders to rescue the two residents. Companies were slowed down in their efforts to extinguish the blaze when live power wires running to the house caught fire and dropped to the ground below as well as across the cab of Ladder 2. Engine companies also had hydrant problems which hampered their efforts to fight the fire. The outside temperature at the time of the fire was in the high 80's with high humidity. Two members of the department were taken to area hospitals and treated for heat exhaustion. Three alarms were sounded during the fire.
(Photos below by Capt. Charlie Breen - SFD)
Heavy smoke and fire push from # 111 Glenwood Road
Firefighter Pat Dorant of Ladder 3 assists a resident that he rescued over a ground ladder in getting medical attention.
Firefighters Pat Keane (left) and Tim Flynn of Tower 1 help advance an attack line up the front stairs.
Crews knock down heavy fire on the front porch and advance the line into the first floor.
Captain Bill Hallinan (right) is given orders by Deputy Chief Jack Memory.
Crews were hampered in their efforts when a live power line fell to the ground and across the cab of Ladder 2.
The fire which started in a sofa on the 1st floor porch, raced up the front of the house to the roof line.
On Saturday June 19, 2010, members of the Somerville Fire Department participated in Operation Salus. This training exercise involved a simulated Hazardous Materials incident taking place in Somerville resulting in multiple casualties. The Somerville Fire Department successfully deployed the Mass Decontamination Unit and decontaminated over 25 victims with various injuries in the Somerville Hospital parking lot. Other victims were transported to the Cambridge and Whidden Hospitals.
The Somerville Fire Department collaborated with staff from the Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge Fire Department, Everett Fire Department, Cataldo Ambulance Service, and Professional Emergency Medical Service in making Operation Salus a success.
(Photos below taken by Tim Correira / Gatehouse Media)
Members of Group 3 encounter heavy fire conditions as they arrive and go to work at a Working Fire at 24 Allen Street on the evening of February 22, 2010. Ladder Two's aerial is being raised as lines are being advanced into the two family dwelling.
Fire starts to vent on the "D" side as Deputy Chief Dave Salvi commands operations in front of the building. Heavy fire on the second floor extended into the attic.
Members of Ladder Two vent the roof of 24 Allen Street. From l-r are : Billy Costa, A/Captain Bill Fitzpatrick and Bob Hodnett.
Ff Tim Donovan operates Engine 3's pump adjacent to the fire building as interior crews start to darken down heavy fire conditions.
Group 4 battled a 2nd Alarm fire on January 14th, 2010 at # 3 Washington Street. The fire is believed to have started on the first floor in the Born de Boca Grill Restaurant and extended to an apartment above the restaurant on the 2nd floor.
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