The Sentinel & Enterprise
LEOMINSTER, Mass. — An early morning blaze in the basement of a four-family building on Merriam Avenue early Wednesday morning sent one firefighter to the hospital, according to Deputy Fire Chief Scott Cordio.
Emergency crews transported the firefighter to Health Alliance Hospital/Leominster with non-life threatening injuries.
“The firefighter is doing fine,” said Cordio. “It was more for precautionary reasons. ... None of the residents staying in the building were injured.”
Firefighters were dispatched to the fire around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, at 134 Merriam Ave., where 19 people reside, according Cordio.
Upon arrival, “Heavy fire was coming from the basement windows,” said Cordio. “However, we were able to walk around to the rear of the building, where there was a door leading into the basement. We were able to extinguish the fire from that angle.”
Crews from Leominster, Fitchburg and Sterling were able to extinguish the basement fire within an hour, while stopping the fire from spreading to the rest of the building.
The basement complex received significant heat and smoke damage, and Red Cross members were called to aid residents in finding a temporary place to live. The amount of damage is still under undetermined.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Cordio said it’s been ruled as accidental.
Copyright 2010 MediaNews Group, Inc. and Mid-States Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved