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| By Alan J. Brackett |
| A firefighter works from the Blackstone aerial to open up the roof at 462 River Rd. in Uxbridge |
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| By Alan J. Brackett |
| A view of the fire building from the "A/B" corner of the dwelling. |
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| By Alan J. Brackett |
| Firefighters reposition a line while roof operations continue. |
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| By Alan J. Brackett |
| A firefighter gets a breather and a fresh air bottle. |
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Uxbridge, MA - On Monday afternoon, January 10th, the Uxbridge Fire Department received a call for a reported house fire on River Road near the Uxbridge/Millville town line. When Uxbridge firefighters arrived on scene, they knew they were in for a long battle; a battle that would eventually require the response of eight mutual aid companies to bring the fire under control.
The house, which was built around 1940, was a large two story farmhouse located at 462 River Road. It was bought by the current owner in 2001 in disrepair, and he spent the last four years whipping it into shape. The fire was discovered by the owner’s sister, who called him on his cell phone. He, in turn, immediately called the Uxbridge FD to report the fire.
As the first due firefighters arrived on scene, they called off that they were on location with a working fire. Firefighters immediately began stretching an inch and three quarter handline to the front door, in anticipation of an aggressive interior attack. As the engine company gained entry to the unoccupied dwelling, they began to search for the fire. They barely made it inside the building when they encountered a flashover and beat a hasty retreat back to the front door. Two members of the interior attack team received some minor thermal burns, which would require later treatment on scene by EMS crews.
As additional Uxbridge firefighters arrived on scene, crews began to open up the building. As the fire was ventilated, it began to show itself in many locations throughout the structure. It quickly became evident to the incident commander that if they were to get a handle on this fire, they would need help. In addition to not having enough manpower to aggressively attack the fire, Uxbridge firefighters also had to overcome a water supply problem.
The dwelling was located on the Uxbridge/Millville town line, outside the Uxbridge hydrant district. The water that was to be used to battle this fire would have to be trucked in on tankers. A mutual aid request was put out for manpower and tankers from the Massachusetts towns of Millville, Blackstone, Douglas, and Northbridge; as well as the Rhode Island communities of Smithfield, North Smithfield, Pascoag, Nasonville, and Chepachet.
Once the water supply was solidified, about 70 firefighters began to aggressively attack the stubborn blaze. After about two hours of chasing down the fire, it was finally contained. Unfortunately, the building appeared to be a total loss.
Firefighters would remain on scene for the next several hours performing overhaul and firewatch duties.
Three Uxbridge firefighters received minor injuries during the fire. All were treated on scene by EMS crews that were standing by on scene. No injuries were reported to any occupants of the home. The fire is currently under investigation by the Uxbridge FD and State Fire Marshal’s Office.
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