MONSON, MA - On February 19th at 16:31, Westcomm regional dispatch alerted Monson Fire and Police to a reported structure fire on Silver Street with occupants trapped. Upon initial dispatch, 14 Chief 1 requested a second alarm due to travel distance from the station and only having two personnel on duty at the time of the incident. 

14 Chief 1 (Command) arrived on-scene 8 minutes after initial dispatch to find heavy fire conditions on side C of a 1765 3500 square foot residential structure with fire rapidly spreading throughout division 1. Two Police officers were attempting to make entry to look for victims. 

Mutual Aid resources from Palmer and Wilbraham were the first arriving apparatus and made an aggressive interior attack and searched for victims on both division 1 and 2. A short time later, all companies had to be pulled from the building due to rapidly advancing fire conditions, and operations were switched to defensive.

Due to the remote location of the fire and lack of a municipal water supply, fire personnel had to wade through knee-high deep snow to ponds and rivers to establish a water supply where tanker trucks shuttled water to the fire scene. The fire was brought under control around 22:30 and crews remained on site overnight to watch for hot spots. 

Two Police Officers were transported to the local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and released a few hours later. In all, the fire went to 3 alarms and Mutual Aid was brought in from Action ambulance, Bondsville Fire department, Brimfield Fire department, Ludlow Fire department, Palmer Fire department, Wilbraham Fire department and Wales Fire department. The Hampden fire department and Stafford CT ambulance service covered our station while at the fire.