A fire that started in an attached two car garage and spread across the enclosed breezeway could have had a far worse outcome had it not been for an alert recruit firefighter who happened to be passing by on his way home from drill school.

The rookie was heading home to Agawam from the Springfield campus of the Massachusetts Fire Fighting Academy and noticed smoke coming from the garage. Pulling over to make sure Longmeadow FD was alerted to the fire, the young member then proceeded to the front door of the home and made contact with the home owner and her guest who ware unaware of the fire. Shortly after getting the two occupants out of the house, the garage became fully involved.

Responding Longmeadow fire crews arrived on scene from their firehouse three doors down the street and began with a transitional attack on the fire. Knocking down the heavy volume of fire from the driveway, crews then stretched lines into the home. Mutual aid soon arrived from North Thompsonville FD in Enfield, CT along with East Longmeadow FD. The additional manpower worked quickly to assist LFD crews to contain the bulk of the fire damage to the garage and breezeway with some minor damage on the Delta side of the first floor of the home. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.