A picture reportedly of the fire on Michael Drive, that was submitted to the Westfield Fire Department from someone reportedly near the fire Saturday
WESTFIELD—A garage fire on Michael Drive over the weekend caused a reported “total loss” of the property.
Westfield Fire Deputy Chief Eric Bishop reported that the department responded to a fire at 62 Michael Dr. on Saturday morning, at around 7:30 a.m. The fire, which started in the attached garage of the residence, spread to the home and caused a “total loss,” according to Bishop.
No injuries were reported.
According to Bishop, the garage was fully engulfed and the fire spread to the home via the attic. Bishop said that the entire house had “heat, smoke, fire and water damage,” and the total cost of damage was estimated at $440,000, including property inside the home.
Bishop reported that the homeowners were alerted to the fire by one of the neighbors—who wished to remain anonymous—that saw it outside. The residents did reportedly have working smoke detectors but due to the location of the fire they did not activate initially.
“They did have working smoke detectors but the fire was initially in the garage, and no smoke and heat was making it inside to alert them that a fire was outside,” Bishop said.
Bishop added that the safety and evacuation of the occupants is the priority of the department.
The department also requested the assistance of the Russell and Air National Guard Fire Departments’ tankers Bishop said, which are apparatuses that carry larger amounts of water for fire suppression. This was due to previous hydrant issues near the scene.
The tankers however, were not used, Bishop said.
The Westfield Fire Department and State Fire Marshal investigated the blaze, and Bishop said that the cause was undetermined.
