Chief Don Stats reports that the North Reading Fire Department responded to a fire in a building on Elm Street on Thursday morning.
On Thursday, Aug. 18, at about 6:27 a.m., North Reading Fire responded to a report of a fire at a commercial structure at 20 Elm St. Upon arrival, crews determined that the fire had started at the rear loading dock and had extended inside.
The first-responding Engine 3 crew – Capt. Eric Pepper, and Firefighters Tyler Samost, Adam Salemme, and Sean O’Brien – were able to contain the fire quickly, with the assistance of North Reading Ladder 1, and its crew of Firefighters Jon Burt, Jeff Carey, and Jim Norkum.
No injuries were reported.
“Engine 3’s quick response, with support of Ladder 1 and our mutual aid partners, made a tremendous difference,” Chief Stats said. “This incident is also a good reminder of the importance of sprinklers in commercial buildings. The property loss would have been much more significant here without a functioning fire suppression system.”
The fire is under investigation by the North Reading Fire Department and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The cause of the fire is not considered to be suspicious at this time.
Chief Stats and the North Reading Fire Department wish to thank Lynnfield Fire Chief Glenn Davis, Chief William Cavanaugh and the Wilmington Fire Department, and the Middleton Fire Department, which provided on-scene mutual aid, and the Reading Fire Department for providing station coverage.