Freetown Fire Chief fights fire alone as fully involved camper fire spreads to home

For the beginning of a serious fire in Freetown, it was a one man wrecking crew.

According to officials, just after 1:00 this afternoon, the Freetown Fire Department was dispatched to North Hillside Street for a report of a fully involved camper fire.

The fire soon spread to the adjacent home due to the close proximity of the camper and the intensity of the fire.

The fire department was already handling multiple medical emergencies at the time of the call and both ambulances and their crews were tied up transporting patients to area hospitals.

Engine 1 staffed with Chief Silvia by himself arrived to find the fire rapidly spreading to the structure and initiated an immediate second alarm assignment due to the lack of available staffing.

Relying on some seriously aggressive one-man firefighting skills and with some help from the automated features of the department’s newest apparatus, Chief Silvia was able to successfully bring the fire under control before it spread further into the home.

Both ambulances were soon able to clear up and respond along with crews from Station 2 and mutual aid companies to overhaul the fire and complete extinguishment.

The Berkley and Rochester Fire Departments provided assistance on scene and the Lakeville Fire Department provided station coverage during the incident.

The Providence Canteen also provided a unit to assist with on scene rehab.

No civilians or firefighters were injured during the incident.