GRANVILLE – An historic house is still standing on Main Street in Granville despite a fire which broke out Wednesday afternoon and kept firefighters working until the wee hours Thursday morning.
Granville Fire Chief Scott Loomis reported in an interview Thursday morning that a fire was reported at 1755 Main Street about 4:26 p.m. and, in accordance with established protocol, the fire departments from Southwick, Tolland and East Hartland, Conn., immediately responded to assist their Granville colleagues who were already fighting the fire.
He said that the Russell firefighters also responded with their mobile system to refill the high pressure air tanks firefighters use in order to be able to breathe while in smoke-filled environments. Loomis explained that the equipment was paid for by a grant “with the understanding that it would be a regional resource.”
He said the blaze was “a very very difficult fire to fight” because of a variety of factors.
“Everything that could work against us was working against us,” he said and explained that the problems began with the “balloon construction” of the building which meant, he said, that “virtually no part of the structure (was) designed to stop a fire.” He said that the house is very old and the construction style allowed the fire to spread through the house very quickly.
He said that he does not know exactly when the house was built but said that it dates from “at least the 1800s. It’s an old house,” he said, “possibly the 1700s.”
In addition to the issues created by the age of the house and the many renovations and additions which have been added over the decades, he said that there was “a significant amount of clutter” in the house.
“We were unable to enter via the normal entrance because it was barricaded by furniture,” he said, so the firefighters were forced to fight the fire from the outside, making it harder to douse the foundations of the fire.
Despite the roadblocks encountered, Loomis said that the house is not a total loss.
“The structure will likely be rebuilt,” he said and added “We were actually able to salvage most of the living area.”
He said that “85-90 percent” of the living area is “salvageable” but said that the house in not currently inhabitable due to cuts into the structure the firefighters were obliged to make in order to get at the flames.
State Trooper Michael Mazza of the Massachusetts Fire Marshal’s office, responded to investigate the fire and reports “The fire departments did a terrific job in saving that house under the direction of Chief Loomis.”
He said that his investigation found that “the homeowner emptied out the wood stove into a metal bucket which is the proper thing to do.”
But, Mazza said, “after a short time” the woman thought the ashes had cooled and transferred them to a flammable container which she left outside against the side of the house in a protected corner.
There, the embers eventually ignited the side of the house he said.
Mazza said “The ashes from a wood stove can potentially stay hot for up to ten days.”
His boss, State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan, said later in a news release prompted by the fire, “People often just don’t realize how long a single ember can stay live hidden in what appear to be stone cold ashes. One ember can stay live for as long as a week.”
Coan offers safety tips to users of wood burning stoves.
He urges that ashes be stored safely away from a structure for at least a week in a metal container with a tightly-fitting lid.
He also suggests that the ashes be doused and stirred to ensure no live embers remain before they are dumped into a metal container for disposal.
Loomis reports that the house had been occupied by a family of three, a woman living with her daughter and granddaughter.
He said that they all exited the house safely and without injuries.
Volunteers from the American Red Cross of Massachusetts responded and provided the displaced family with “comfort packs” to provide them with immediate personal care items but Loomis reports that the women found shelter with a neighbor and did not need the housing assistance offered by the Red Cross workers.
He said that the volunteers also provided coffee and snacks for the firefighters.
Loomis reports that the family’s two cats were also rescued and Mazza attributes their rescue to Granville Firefighter Nat Ripley.
Mazza said “He did a terrific job in finding and safely returning to the family their two cats they thought had perished.”
