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Douglas, MA - Firefighters from Douglas responded to the report of a house on fire on Uxbridge Street just after noontime on Monday January 17th. Upon arrival firefighters found a two story dwelling fully involved with fire. Water supply was a major concern in the early stages of the fire, considering the home was located at least 1100 feet off Uxbridge Street.

A single 4" supply line was laid down the long driveway, and tankers from Douglas and mutual aid companies shuttled water to the dumpsite located at the top of the 1100 foot driveway. Douglas firefighters were forced to initiate an exterior attack of the fire, and the building started to suffer partial collapses shortly after the fire department's arrival.

The dwelling was determined a total loss, and no one was home at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported. Mutual aid was summonsed to Douglas from the communities of Uxbridge, Northbridge, and Webster. One side note to this story: the Douglas FD had responded earlier that morning for a reported chimney fire in the same dwelling. Firefighter who responded stated that the fire in the chimney was out on arrival, but firefighters checked the chimney thoroughly with a mirror. They also used thermal imaging to check all the walls surrounding the chimney for any abnormal heat signatures. They found that there was no danger of any fire extension from the chimney fire. They advised the owner that the chimney was very dirty and the woodstove was not to be used until the flue and chimney could be cleaned. The owner stated that the woodstove was the only source of heat for the dwelling. It is unknown if the homeowner disregarded the fire department's recommendation.