1st Alarm Structure Fire

On Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 6:46 PM Salem Fire Department responded with a first alarm assignment (Engine #1, Engine #10, Engine #3, Ladder #4, Battalion and Chief #4) to a structure fire at 2343 Adams Street SE .

First arriving units found light smoke showing from the exterior and upon further investigation discovered a working fire inside the home.  An aggressive interior attack by fire crews quickly knocked down the fire and kept the fire from spreading to the attic and throughout the home.  The fire was contained to a bedroom of the home and as fire fighters were extinguishing the fire, the fire had just broken out the window and was venting to the exterior of the home.  Within just a few more minutes, without intervention by fire personnel, the fire would have flashed over and caused considerable more damage to the home and structure.

The cause of the fire was identified as poor housekeeping practices where combustibles (such as clothing, and other combustible items) were stored too close to a properly running baseboard heater.  Estimated damage to the home was $8-10,000.  No injuries were reported at the time of this report.

Scene Photos

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