WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS
Three firefighters were injured yesterday afternoon while
battling a three-alarm fire that raced through a sprawling mansion in
Brookline, a fire official said.
“The firefighters did a great job under very difficult
conditions considering the freezing temperatures, slippery conditions and the
thick, heavy smoke they faced upon arrival,” Brookline Fire Department Chief of
Operations Robert Ward said. “The fire was moving fast through the third floor
and attic area, and the firefighters did a great job to knock it down.”
A resident of the massive 21⁄2 story, 6,300-square-foot
colonial manse, built in 1900 and assessed at $3.8 million, reported the fire
at 12:04 p.m., Ward said.
One nearby fire hydrant had already been cleared of ice and
snow when firefighters arrived on scene, Ward said, but another had to be dug
out by first responders, costing crews precious minutes.
Two Brookline firefighters and one member of the Somerville
Fire Department suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze, which forced
the occupants out into the cold, Ward said.
The size and makeup of the home, Ward said, gave
firefighters some trouble.
“What made it difficult was that it was a very well-built
home and it had a slate roof, which is not easy to work on — especially in icy
conditions,” Ward said.
“Then we had the ceilings, which were lath and plaster,
making it very difficult for firefighters to poke through to get to the fire.”
Firefighters from Boston, Cambridge, Newton and Somerville
assisted at the scene, Ward said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.