Thursday, 4:30 PM
Crews douse four-alarm fire in Reading
(Wiqan Ang for The Boston Globe)
Firefighters battled a four-alarm blaze this morning on Bancroft Avenue in Reading.
By Charlie Russo and Sarah M. Kneezle, Globe Correspondents
Firefighters from at least six surrounding towns helped douse a four-alarm blaze in Reading this morning that ripped through a century-old home. No one was hurt and the cause remains under investigation.
Neighbors reported seeing flames at the three story wood-frame home on Bancroft Avenue just after 9 a.m. Reading Fire Chief Gregory Burns said he rang the fourth alarm at 9:53 a.m. because the flames were hard to extinguish in gaps between the home's old walls and he worried about fatigue among his firefighters.
"We knew it was it was going to be an extended effort," Burns said.
Witnesses said flames were shooting out all floors of the structure, which was unoccupied at the time of fire. The residence is home to a family of six. Burns estimated that the building suffered $250,000 worth of damage, but could be salvaged.
A preliminary investigation suggested that the fire may have started in the basement, Burns said. Crews from Saugus, Stoneham, Lynnfield, Melrose, and North Reading helped fight the fire.
