Whitman Fire Department Extinguishes Two-Alarm Fire Monday Afternoon

WHITMAN – Deputy Chief Al Cunningham reports that the Whitman Fire Department responded to and extinguished a two-alarm fire on Monday afternoon.  

On Monday, July 17, at about 12:15 p.m., Whitman Fire Department received a report of smoke coming from the basement of a home on Plymouth Street.  

Upon arrival Whitman Firefighters observed heavy smoke coming from the basement of the single-family home. Crews struck a second alarm as the fire spread rapidly to the first floor.  

The home was unoccupied at the time. There were no reported injuries. A family pet — a ferret — did not survive.

One firefighter was transported to an area hospital for treatment of heat exhaustion.  

Mutual aid was provided by the Hanson, Abington, East Bridgewater, Rockland, and Brockton Fire Departments, and Norwell and Halifax EMS. Bridgewater Fire Department provided station coverage.  

The home sustained considerable damage and was determined to be uninhabitable. Three residents were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross. 

The Whitman Fire Department, along with the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit attached to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, determined that the cause of the fire was an electrical cord that had been submerged in water in the basement of the home.