Fires in Chelsea and Melrose stretch firefighting resources

CHELSEA - Two fires broke out within less than an hour in Chelsea and Melrose yesterday, gutting two multifamily houses and dividing firefighter assistance from surrounding communities.

The first fire broke out at a three-decker on Essex Street in Chelsea at about noon, sending four people to the hospital and leaving six families homeless. Two people had to be rescued, one from the second floor by firefighters using a ladder.

Fire Captain Edward McGeary said the unidentified man was brought to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. His condition was not known last night, McGeary said.

A Chelsea firefighter, Lieutenant Harvey Raley, lived on the third floor, but was not injured. The four people were brought to the hospital as a precaution because of smoke inhalation and other minor injuries.

At about 12:40 p.m., a blaze started at a two-family house on Franklin Street in Melrose, displacing two families. A Boston firefighter collapsed, possibly due to heat exhaustion, said Melrose Fire Captain Edward Collina. He said the injuries were minor.

Firefighters in Chelsea faced the same difficulties, with several firefighters struggling to contend with yesterday's hot weather and heat from the fire.

"On a day like today, they're going to have heat exhaustion and hydration issues," Chelsea Fire Chief Chuck Fothergill said.

The timing of the fires made it difficult for Melrose crews to contain the blaze. The department struck four alarms, seeking assistance from the same communities that responded to the Chelsea blaze. Three alarms were struck in Chelsea, summoning at least seven departments.

"Chelsea is so close to us, and we really rely on them on a third alarm," Collina said.

The house in Chelsea was destroyed, with an estimated $400,000 in damage. Collina estimated the fire in Melrose caused about $300,000 in damage. Three nearby houses in Melrose were damaged by the fire's heat.

Two cousins were credited with rescuing their grandmother in Chelsea, escorting her down the stairs as the fire began to rage.

Timothy Follis, 24, who lives on the first floor, said he heard an alarm, went to the third floor to investigate, and saw flames. He had a cousin call 911, and together they helped their grandmother escape from her second-floor apartment. The woman, who uses oxygen, was not injured, but was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The cause of the two fires was under investigation yesterday.

Milton J. Valencia of the Globe staff contributed to this report.