PRESS RELEASE
Date of Incident: November 7, 2015
Location of Incident: 16-38 Valgar St
Nature of Call: Building Fire
Time Reported: 6:06am
Time Under Control: 8:33am
Number of Alarms and Times Upgraded: 2nd alarm @ 6:09am; 3rd alarm at 6:16am; 4th alarm@ 7:00am
Type of Building: 2 ½ story multi-family
# of Apartments: 12
Building Owner & Address: Windham Windsor Housing Trust
Injuries? No
Fatalities? No
Number of Trucks From Brattleboro: 6
Number of Brattleboro FF’s: 29
Mutual Aid Towns to the Scene: Hinsdale, Putney, Guilford, Keene, Chesterfield, Spofford, Greenfield, Dummerston
Agencies Assisting at the Scene: Rescue Inc, Brattleboro Police, Brattleboro DPW & Water Departments, Red Cross, Green Mountain Power
Mutual Aid Towns Covering Brattleboro Stations: Putney, Northfield, Bernardston, Wilmington, Bellows Falls
Damage (Minor, Moderate, Extensive): Extensive damage to 4 apartments, moderate smoke and heat damage to some and minor to no damage to others
Time in Service: 2:15pm
Cause: Under investigation by BFD Investigation Team, BPD and VT State Police Fire Investigation Team.
Action Taken/Details:
At 6:06am on Saturday, November 7, 2015 Brattleboro Central Dispatch received multiple calls reporting a fire at 16 – 38 Valgar St. A first alarm assignment of Engine 3, Engine 4 and Ladder 1 responded. Multiple phone calls were reporting fire coming from the building and while enroute Engine 3 upgraded to a second alarm at 6:09am bringing all off duty Brattleboro firefighters and apparatus to the scene.
Upon arrival at the scene at 6:12 am Engine 3 reported heavy fire involvement of two apartments with extension into a third apartment. Hand lines were stretched to the building interior in an attempt to cut off the fire and a search of the apartments for occupants was undertaken. At 6:16pm Engine 3 reported fire extension into the attic and ordered a third alarm be transmitted, bringing three mutual aid engines and a ladder to the scene.
The building is a 2 ½ story, 12 unit, multi family dwelling and at 7am a 4th alarm was struck bringing three more mutual aid units to the scene to aid in building search and fire attack operations.
A majority of the fire was knocked down by 7:30am and the incident was declared under control at 8:33am. There were no injuries of either firefighters or occupants. Approximately 45 occupants have been displaced by the fire and are staying with family, friends or in a shelter set up by the Red Cross.
Damage ranges from extensive to no damage depending on where the apartment is located in the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Name/Rank of Person Doing Press Release: Michael Bucossi; Brattleboro Fire Chief
Brattleboro Fire Department
103 Elliot Street * Brattleboro, VT 05301 * 802-254-4831 FAX: 802-257-2323
Michael Bucossi, Fire Chief
Peter Lynch, Assistant Chief
