North Reading Fire Department Conducts Live-Fire Training; Responds to Three-Alarm Fire After Flames Rekindle

Firefighters use a hoseline to get water on a fire during live fire training in a home off Haverhill Street in North Reading on Wednesday. Firefighters conducted live-fire training at the home all day, giving dozens of firefighters from three communities an opportunity to experience important, realistic training. The fire later rekindled and required a three-alarm response. (Photo Courtesy North Reading Fire Department)

NORTH READING — The North Reading Fire Department and mutual aid partners experienced valuable live-fire training this week thanks the generosity of an anonymous donor.

Firefighters returned to scene hours later when the training fire rekindled and turned into a three-alarm blaze.

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, North Reading firefighters were joined by firefighters from Lynnfield and Middleton as they safely and intentionally burned portions of a vacant home that is slated to be torn down. A donor who wished to remain anonymous gifted the home to the department for use in training.

Training officers from the Ipswich, Lynnfield, Gloucester and Peabody Fire Departments assisted with facilitating the training. More than 30 firefighters, including 22 from North Reading, participated in four different scenarios.

Firefighters practiced attacking a basement fire, two bedroom fires, and a fire in the second floor of a garage that they had to access with ladders.

Companies worked together to ensure the fire was out, conducting extensive overhaul in the home. Firefighters also used thermal imaging cameras to ensure there were no remaining hot spots. Firefighters, including instructors who helped clean up the scene and monitor the house, remained on scene for two hours after the fire was out.

Nevertheless, at approximately 7:15 p.m., the North Reading Fire Department was notified that the fire had rekindled. Companies responded and found what was left of the home fully engulfed in flames.

The home is vacant and slated for destruction, so firefighters took a defensive posture to ensure the flames did not spread to surrounding woods. Fortunately, the home was selected for live-fire training in part because it was located away from other homes. No other homes were exposed to fire.

Firefighters from Lynnfield, Middleton, Wilmington, Andover, Reading and Wakefield spent several hours containing and extinguishing the blaze, which was brought under control by about 11 p.m. Firefighters remained on scene afterward wetting down and ensuring all hot spots were out. There were no reported injuries. Firefighters from Tewksbury and Danvers covered North Reading stations.

“Our live fire training was invaluable, and will help all of our firefighters and firefighters from surrounding communities be better at what they do and more prepared for emergencies,” said Chief Don Stats. “Unfortunately, this training also humbled us, as despite our best efforts the fire rekindled. This incident reminds us that fire is dangerous, insidious, and that it can linger for hours undetected, even by professionals. We will learn lessons from the way this turned out. I am grateful for the support and assistance of our mutual aid partners who helped us both facilitate this training, and respond to the subsequent fire.”