Chief Don Stats would like to provide an update on the cause of fire that the North Reading Fire Department extinguished on Elm Street Thursday.
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.
North Reading Fire Department reminds residents and businesses of the importance of sprinklers in commercial buildings. Without a functioning fire suppression system property damages in these instances can be much more severe.
The subsequent investigation by the North Reading Fire Department and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, determined that the likely cause of the fire was to be from careless disposal of smoking materials.
“Situations like these are preventable and we would like to emphasize the dangers of carelessly disposing smoking materials that are not properly put out,” said Chief Stats. “Residents are urged to fully put out any smoking material and place them in designated receptacles.”