Crime & Safety

Sharing Hands: Belmont Fire Assist Winchester at Three Alarm Fire

Belmont Fire support several fire departments in Winchester with mutual aid.

The original article on Winchester Patch was written and reported by Mark Ouellette. 

While the total number of Belmont residential and commercial fires are thankfully small, the Belmont Fire Department is actively involved in many incidents of "mutual aid" in which departments assist fellow firefighters when a blaze requires additional equipment and manpower.

Early this morning, Wednesday, July 3, Belmont Fire traveled to Winchester to assist the town's fire department at a three-alarm blaze at an Everett Ave.

Led by Winchester Fire Chief John Nash, firefighters from Belmont, Arlington,  Woburn, Stoneham, Medford, Reading and Winchester worked to contain and extinguish the blaze.

Belmont Fire Chief David Frizzell said five of his firefighters, including himself, responded to the fire when the third alarm was struck shortly after the fire was discovered just before 2 a.m. Frizzell and Assistant Fire Chief Angus Davison responded to the fire from their homes.

"My guys are out back maning hose lines, and my role and the assistant chief's role here is just to help Chief Nash wherever he may need it," Frizzell said around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday while the fire was still concentrated to the roof.

"It's more of a support role for us."

Shortly after 5 a.m., the fire appeared to be largely knocked down thanks in part to Medford and Winchester ladder trucks running lines to the roof, while two lines also worked to extinguish the blaze from the ground in front of the home.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Nash. 


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