Staff reports
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — According to a press release from Chief Russ Thompson of the Springfield Fire Department, on Wednesday morning alert neighbors noticed smoke coming from an attached garage at 15 Bellevue Street, the home of Randy and Heather Post. The alarm was sounded at 10:30 a.m.
The fire was extending from the garage to the main house when firefighters arrives. The initial crew used a transitional attack in the garage and then made entry into the an adjacent side door to knock down the bulk of the fire. A “transitional attack” refers to knocking down an interior fire from the outside with a hand-held line before moving inside to fight the fire there.
The second crew made entry to the second floor to check for extension (spread of the fire) and encountered dense smoke conditions. Extensive overhaul was performed while checking for hidden fire and hot spots. “Overhaul” means breaking open walls, ceilings, and partitions while looking for signs of fire.
One Windsor firefighter was transported to hospital by Charlestown Ambulance as a precautionary measure.
According to Thompson, mutual aid was requested for the second alarm assignment. Staffing at Springfield requires a first alarm to bring them to a normal manpower level. A second alarm is “top heavy” with mutual aid assistance to help reduce lag time in case an incident worsens or has a large risk potential. On Wednesday Springfield received mutual aid from Chester, Bellows Falls, Westminster RIT, Walpole Cascade, Weathersfield, and Ascutney departments, and from Charlestown Ambulance.
Thompson’s press release did not include a cause for the fire.
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