Preliminary cause released for fire extinguished by Tiverton, Little Compton, Portsmouth, Fall River, Westport Fire Departments

A residential fire this week was extinguished by multiple local fire departments.

According to the Tiverton Fire Department, on Tuesday, while crews were actively operating at an earlier incident on the Route 24 on-ramp, the Tiverton Fire Department was dispatched to 405 Nanaquaket Road for a possible electrical fire. 

First-arriving crews encountered moderate smoke showing from the front door, with light smoke visible from the second floor. Upon investigation, it was quickly determined that there was an active fire in the basement of the residence. Crews immediately initiated an interior fire attack and located the seat of the fire in the basement. The fire was quickly knocked down. 

Due to the age of the home, which was built in the 1800s, crews remained on scene for an extended period to check for fire extension throughout the structure. Rhode Island Energy was requested immediately and power to the building was terminated. 

With approximately half of the on-duty shift still committed to the earlier incident, mutual aid was requested both to the fire scene and for station coverage. The Tiverton Building Official and Electrical Inspector also responded to the scene. 

The fire investigation is being conducted by the Tiverton Fire Marshal’s Office. The cause of the fire has been determined to be electrical in nature. 

The Tiverton Fire Department thanked their mutual aid partners for their quick response. Mutual aid included Little Compton, Portsmouth, Fall River, Westport, and an ambulance from Bristol. The Providence Canteen also responded to provide support on scene. 

No injuries were reported.