Fire Department

The sound of a carbon monoxide alarm led firefighters to discover fire smoldering in a Gilmore Street residence.

Engine Co. 4 responded at 11:21 p.m. to investigate a carbon monoxide alarm. This home was located in a neighborhood that experienced a power surge and power loss in the previous 24 hours, and many households were reporting their furnaces were no longer working.

The homeowner confirmed they were without heat and had been running four space heaters for the past six and a half hours. Firefighters investigated and did confirm the presence of carbon monoxide on the second story of the home, along with the odor of wood burning. The crew went on to find burning plaster and puffing smoke from a second-floor ceiling. This discovery led them to check the attic space, where they found smoldering insulation and burned wiring. Additionally, firefighters found multiple structural components of the attic scorched and burned through.

Engine 4 used water can extinguishers to extinguish and cool down the burning materials. Engine 9 and Ladder 1 were dispatched to assist with checking the remainder of the house for additional hot spots. Crews confirmed there were no additional heat signatures found when surveying the rest of the house with thermal imaging cameras.

Multiple tarps of smoldering insulation were taken outside and cooled in the snow. The occupants found alternate housing given the lack of heat and now the need for electrical repairs. Firefighters shut off water service due to the possibility of pipes freezing before heat service could be restored.