WALTHAM, MA — On February 18th, the Waltham fire department responded to a building fire at 303 Newton Street, where smoke was reported coming from the third floor of Unit 16. Companies arriving on scene found smoke showing from the A/D corner of the third floor and immediately began evacuating all three levels of the building.

The fire was located in the bathroom of Unit 16 and was mostly contained to that area, with some extension into the cockloft. Firefighters deployed multiple hand lines and master streams, successfully extinguishing the blaze. A second alarm was ordered at 17:44 to bring additional resources to the scene. Units were dispatched at 17:26, arrived at 17:28, and cleared by 20:42.

Investigation determined the fire was caused by the careless disposal of smoking materials. Chief Mullin praised the responding crews for their rapid response and outstanding work in limiting the fire’s spread and protecting the building’s occupants.

Responding Companies: Engine 1, Squad 5, Ladder 2, Car 2, Rescue 1, Engine 2, Engine 4, Engine 3, Engine 8, Tower 1, Engine 7, Car 1, Car 3, Car 4, H 1.