Dracut Fire Department Extinguishes Two-Alarm Fire in a Large Apartment Building

Dracut Fire Department investigators look for evidence as they investigate the cause of a two-alarm fire at 1476 Mammoth Road on Thursday. There were no reported injuries in the fire that affected four units in a large, multi-unit apartment building. (Courtesy Dracut Fire Department)

DRACUT — The Dracut Fire Department and mutual aid partners worked to extinguish a two-alarm fire in a large, multi-unit apartment building on Thursday morning.

On Thursday, Feb. 5, at approximately 9:28 a.m., the Dracut Fire Department was called to a senior housing apartment facility at 1476 Mammoth Road for a report of a structure fire.

Companies were responding to an unrelated fire alarm call at the time but responded immediately to Mammoth Road. Tower 1 arrived first and found smoke and fire showing from a second-floor bedroom window.

Approximately 25 residents were able to evacuate. About 5 residents with mobility issues were assisted out of the building by firefighters and Dracut Police.

Sprinklers in the multi-unit apartment building kept a fire in a bedroom in check until firefighters could stretch two hose lines into the building.

Chief Michael Cunha requested that Pridestar Trinity EMS send multiple ambulances given the number of residents who evacuated in freezing temperatures. No one was reported injured.

The Dracut Council on Aging also sent a vehicle to help keep residents warm.

One second-floor unit was damaged by the fire, while three first-floor units suffered significant water damage. Residents of those units were displaced, but most residents of the building were able to return to their apartments once the fire was out.

The American Red Cross responded to the scene to assist displaced occupants with shelter, but it is believed that the occupants were able to find temporary arrangements with family members.

Firefighters from Lowell, Tyngsborough, and Pelham, N.H., provided mutual aid at the scene. Firefighters from Methuen and Hudson covered Dracut Fire stations.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Dracut Fire Department.

“This incident highlights the importance of a rapid, aggressive fire attack by our first-arriving companies,” said Chief Cunha. “Dracut Fire Department crews moved quickly to locate and extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading further through this 55-and-over apartment building. Mutual aid companies searched the building ensuring all residents evacuated safely. While residents were evacuated as a precaution, their swift and coordinated actions allowed occupants to safely return to their units following extinguishment.”