East Bridgewater Fire Battles Complex Structure Fire 

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Chief John Dzialo is praising East Bridgewater firefighters who responded short-handed and battled a house fire on Wednesday afternoon.

With half of the department’s on-duty staff already deployed to a medical call, East Bridgewater Fire received a call just after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a basement fire at a house on Bedford Street. Only three firefighters were in station at the time. They immediately deployed, and dispatchers put out the call for mutual aid from surrounding communities.

Firefighters arrived within minutes and quickly went to work, sizing up the fire and devising a plan of attack. 

Relying on their extensive training, firefighters were able to knock down the fire, which had begun to extend to the first floor, quickly, limiting further damage to the home. 

The firefighters went into the basement and faced heavy fire immediately.  There was also a significant amount of items being stored in the basement, and the older home was constructed in a way that would have allowed fire to quickly spread. Firefighters estimated that they were minutes away from the fire potentially engulfing the home when they arrived.

Mutual aid was provided at the scene by the Fire Departments of Whitman, West Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Abington. Halifax Fire provided station coverage for East Bridgewater. 

With the help of mutual aid partners, firefighters worked aggressively and extinguished the fire, remaining on scene to overhaul and conduct an initial investigation. 

The home’s sole resident is temporarily displaced due to damage, and the resident was able to find temporary lodging. 

During the firefighting operation, two additional medical emergencies were reported, and mutual aid departments responded to both incidents.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the East Bridgewater Fire Department. 

“This is my first major structure fire since joining the East Bridgewater Fire Department. Though these incidents may not happen often, we rely on the strength of our readiness and training to respond without hesitation, demonstrating the dedication and commitment that define this department.” said Chief Dzialo. “This particular incident had all the makings to be a potentially disastrous event, but even with only three firefighters available to respond initially, we were able to execute on our training quickly and effectively. I have tremendous confidence in our department, and yesterday’s response was a clear example of why.”