For Immediate Release

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Department Responds to 4-Alarm House Fire

MANCHESTER BY-THE-SEA — Fire Chief Al Beardsley reports that the Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Department responded to a house fire Sunday afternoon.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., the fire department received a call from a homeowner at 30 University Drive who reported that his garage was on fire. The garage was attached to the home.

The first responding fire companies reported extreme difficulty getting to the house because of the road conditions caused by the severe snow and ice storm occurring in New England Sunday. The house is also located near the top of a steep hill

Multiple alarms were quickly struck to bring additional manpower and apparatus to the scene to assist Manchester-by-the-Sea in the sub-freezing conditions.

A ladder truck was able to take an alternate route on Overledge Road near the home and ran a hose through residents’ backyards in order to reach the house and begin knocking down the fire.

More personnel arrived on scene and firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.

The fire had spread to the home and the house was a total loss. Chief Beardsley estimates the damage to be at least $400,000.

The homeowner was able to safely get himself and his dog out of the house and was uninjured. He and his family will be displaced due to the blaze.

Members of the Essex, Gloucester and Hamilton fire departments responded to the scene and the Beverly and Wenham fire departments provided station coverage. No firefighters were injured in the response.

The fire is believed to have started in the garage and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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