Fire at 45 Chestnut Street

Date: January 31, 2017
Nature of call: Kitchen Fire

Address: 45 Chestnut St
Time of Call: 12:53pm

Type of Building: 3 story wood frame/3 apartments
Number of Residents: 6

Number of Alarms and Times: 2nd alarm at 12:56pm
Under Control: 1:33pm

Injuries: No
Type:

Fatalities: No

Owner: DT Investments – Brattleboro

Brattleboro Trucks on Scene: 5
Brattleboro FF’s: 18

Assisting Agencies on Scene: Brattleboro Police, Rescue Inc, Brattleboro Dept of Public Works, Brattleboro Utilities Division, Green Mountain Power

Mutual Aid Towns on Scene: Keene

Mutual Aid Towns Covering Brattleboro Stations: Hinsdale, Putney, Guilford, Chesterfield

Action Taken: At 12:53pm Brattleboro Central Dispatch received a call reporting a kitchen fire at 45 Chestnut St. Engine 3, Engine 4, Ladder 1 and Car 1 responded on a 1st alarm assignment.

At 12:56 Brattleboro Police arrived on the scene and reported heavy smoke showing from the rear of the building. BFD Captain Dave Emery Jr, the officer in charge on Engine 3, ordered a 2nd alarm be struck while enroute due to the PD report. Upon arrival of Car 1 at 12:58 Chief Bucossi reported heavy smoke showing from the “Bravo” side of the building and assumed Command.

Engine 3 arrived right behind Car 1 and Capt Emery was told by an occupant that the bathroom off the kitchen was on fire on the 1st floor. A hose line was stretched and an attack was made on the fire. Ladder 1 was backed into the driveway of the building and the aerial was placed on the roof, positioned for ventilation if needed.

A 2nd attack line was stretched to the 2nd floor rear apartment to cut off any fire extension and as more personnel arrived crews were assigned to all three floors to do a search for occupants and check for fire extension. It was found that a mother and her 1 week old baby from the fire apartment escaped safely, as well as the occupant from the 2nd floor rear.

The occupant of the 2nd floor front was not home when the fire started but arrived shortly after fire crews, and the occupant of the 2nd floor rear also escaped safely. The fire in the bathroom had extended into the hall and kitchen but was contained there. The fire was declared under control at 1:33pm.

There were no injuries and one cat was removed by firefighters from the 2nd floor front apartment unharmed. There were smoke detectors throughout the building.

Brattleboro was assisted at the scene by the Keene Fire Department as well as Rescue Inc, Brattleboro Police, Brattleboro Dept of Public Works, Brattleboro Utilities Division and Green Mountain Power. The first floor apartment received extensive fire, smoke and water damage and is uninhabitable.

The occupants are staying with family. The 2nd and 3rd floors received minor smoke damage and the occupants should be able to go back in. The origin and cause of the fire is under investigation by the BFD Investigation Team and does not appear to be suspicious. There were six occupants between the three apartments, including an infant and five year old in the 1st floor. All Brattleboro units were back in service at 3:45pm.

Contact: Michael Bucossi
Brattleboro Fire Chief
Brattleboro Fire Department
103 Elliot Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
802-254-4831
FAX: 802-257-2323

…
UPDATE:

Correction: The owner of the building that was damaged by fire at 45 Chestnut St on January 31 is Michael Wachtel of Holy Springs, NC, not DT Investment of Brattleboro, VT as originally identified.

Cause: An origin and cause investigation was done by members of the Brattleboro Fire Department Investigation Team and it was determined that the fire was caused by the failure of a ventilation fan motor in the 1st floor apartment bathroom. This apartment received extensive damage.

Contact: Michael Bucossi
Fire Chief