Despite no fire hydrants, firefighters extinguish blaze deep in Westport

The Westport Fire Department responded to a reported residential structure fire in Westport Harbor late Saturday night.

According to Deputy Chief Dan Baldwin, the first arriving engine, staffed with two firefighters, arrived to find fire through the roof of the 2 ½ story building. Firefighters initially mounted an exterior attack, using a large handline, to knock as much of the fire down as possible before making an interior attack at 12 Tee Lane.

Captain Martin led an interior attack crew into the second floor of the home and found fire in the attic space and walls. Firefighters pulled ceilings and walls to expose and extinguish the fire. Due to the architectural design of the home, extensive overhaul was needed to find and extinguish the hot spots in various locations throughout the second floor.

Baldwin stated that the homeowner was alerted to the fire by an employee at the Acoaxet Country Club, who was
flashing her vehicle’s lights through the woods in the direction of the home. The homeowner saw the flashing lights and noticed an orange glow on the trees surrounding the home. When the homeowner went outside to investigate the glow, he saw that smoke and fire had already burned through the roof of the home. Both the homeowner and the employee placed 911 calls to the Westport Police Department.

This section of Westport has an approximate response time of 10-12 minutes from the Hix Bridge Fire Station, according to Baldwin. In addition to the extended response time, there are no fire hydrants. Tiverton Fire secured a water source from a brook on Brayton Point Road, while tankers from Westport, Little Compton, and Dartmouth Fire District 3 shuttled water to the scene. Mutual aid tankers from Freetown, Acushnet, and Lakeville were canceled prior to their arrival, while Fall River Engine 4 covered Station 2. Westport responded with two engines, one tanker, and the Deputy Chief.

The on-duty crew of four was aided by a combination of eleven off-duty Westport firefighters and on-call firefighters. Rehab was provided by members of the Westport Emergency Management – Special Services division.

Fire investigators are focusing on the fireplace flue as a possible source of ignition and the
investigation is ongoing at this time.

Baldwin said that this is the third building fire over the last few weeks related to a wood-burning stove. “We remind all residents that proper installation and maintenance will help to reduce the risk of fire.”

The home did have working smoke detectors, however, with the fire being above the ceiling, there was no smoke below the ceiling level to prompt an activation.

The home suffered significant smoke, water, and fire damage, however, firefighters were still able to save a large portion of the home, as well as many valuable and personal belongings.

There were no injuries.