Stoneham Fire Department Quickly Extinguishes House Fire

STONEHAM — The Stoneham Fire Department quickly knocked down a fire in the basement of a home on Friday morning. 

On Friday, Oct. 10, at about 9:12 a.m., the Stoneham Fire Department responded to 5 Cherry Ave. for a report of a basement fire.

Engines 1 and 3, and Ladder 1 arrived on scene by 9:17 a.m., and immediately stretched a hose line into the basement to extinguish the fire. The fire was knocked down within 10 minutes and contained to the basement. The home suffered minor smoke damage. 

The owner and sole occupant of the home was quickly evacuated by crews upon arrival. The home’s smoke alarms activated, allowing the owner to quickly call for assistance. No injuries were reported. 

The scene was clear at about 10:12 a.m.

“Because this home had working smoke alarms, we were able to get help to the scene as soon as possible and ultimately prevent flames from doing serious damage to the body of the home,” said Chief Matthew Grafton. “We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to check your smoke alarms regularly, as they often play a major role in protecting yourself and your home. I would also like to recognize the responsive work of our crews and mutual aid partners.”

Wakefield Fire provided mutual aid on scene, and the Fire Departments of Reading and Winchester provided station coverage. 

Through a preliminary investigation, it appears that the cause of the fire was due to an electrical malfunction. The Town electrical inspector and local fire inspectors were notified.