Gloucester Fire Department Battles Lloyde Street Fire – Possible Chimney Obstruction

GLOUCESTER — Chief Eric Smith reports that the Gloucester Fire Department extinguished a one-alarm house fire early this morning.Gloucester Fire 11 11 17

Just after midnight, the Gloucester Fire Department received a report of smoke in a home at 8 Lloyd St. The homeowner reported being awoken by smoke alarms, and after investigating, saw smoke in his 1 1/2 story single-family home.

Two engines, a ladder truck, a rescue squad and a command vehicle from Headquarters and West Gloucester stations responded to the scene while Bay View and Magnolia stations covered the city.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw smoke coming from the wall assembly surrounding the exterior chimney and stretched a hose line into the first floor.

Using saws, axes and other hand tools, firefighters opened the wall assembly. There they found fire in the void and the structural wood members smoldering. Firefighters quickly knocked the fire down, and continued to check the remaining wall assembly for extension using thermal imaging cameras.

Fire damage is estimated at $5,000 and was confined to the wall assembly in the immediate area of the chimney, with minimal smoke damage to the first floor. No injuries were reported and firefighters cleared the scene an hour after arrival.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the cause of the fire was most likely due to an obstruction near the top of the chimney. The resident reported having the first fire of the season that night.

“I want to commend firefighters for their work this morning, especially given the extremely cold weather,” Chief Smith said. “We’re thankful no one was injured, and this is a perfect example of how important it is to have working smoke detectors in your house. Had this resident not been alerted to the fire early on, it could have been a lot worse.”

Gloucester Fire 11 11 17

Share This Post