Gloucester - 8th Alarm, Middle Street 12/15/07

At 11:47 pm Gloucester firefighters were dispatched to a report of smoke in the building at the Loraine Apartments at 80 Middle st. which is almost directly across from fire headquarters. Upon arrival firefighters were faced with a heavy smoke condition in an approximately 80x125, 4 story former hospital building which had been converted into a 30 unit apartment building. Upon further inspection firefighters found fire traveling rapidly through the walls and ceilings of the building and rapidly overtaking all 4 floors. One man was trapped and hanging out of the window on the 3rd floor of the C side of the building, in a rescue attempt firefighters then raised a 35 ft. ladder in an attempt to rescue him, but conditions deteriorated so rapidly that they were unable to and barely escaped themselves. The mans body was found in the rubble several hours later, and at the time of this being written is know to be the only fatality. A 2nd alarm was stuck and soon after a 3rd and 4th, then a 5th and 6th.

Fire quickly consumed the entire building, fire vented from every window and through the roof. Firefighters quickly turned their attention to protecting the Trinity Congregational Church across from the fire building on School st. and the Temple Ahvat Achim which was separated from the fire building on the C side by a small alley and was in imminent danger. Much of the building, suddenly and spectacularly collapsed into School st. and into the Temple on the C side. The collapse also brought down overhead electrical wires into the street knocking out power to the neighborhood, including fire headquarters. All efforts were now focused on saving the Temple, which was a very large wood frame building. The fire driven by the strong winds and the large amount of burning debris that collapsed into the Temple, the Temple itself was soon fully involved which resulted in the 7th and 8th alarms being struck simultaneously. Gloucester Ladder 1 and Middleton Ladder 1 operated ladder pipes onto the Temple as Essex Ladder 1 and Gloucester Ladder 2 continued to train their ladder pipes on burning remains of the Loraine Apartments. With the original fire building still burning, and the Temple now fully involved the plan was to stop the fire at the Temple before it spread to the nearby Sawyer Free Library and continue spread through downtown. As the morning wore on and the sun began to rise, firefighters from every city and town in Essex County District 5 and several companies from communities in District 15 and Metrofire brought the fire under control stopping it's spread at the Temple. The Loraine Apartments were completely leveled with the exception of the elevator shafts, the Temple as well was nearly burned to the ground with little remaining with the exception of some remnants of charred exterior walls. Some media reports have stated the the Trinity Congregational Church and the Sawyer Free Library both suffered some minor radiant heat damage, but survived relatively unscathed. At the point of this writing, the cause is unknown, aside from the 1 civilian fatality, 3 firefighters suffered minor injures battling the fire.

Apparatus Response:
Gloucester Apparatus: Engines 1,2,4,5 and 6, Ladders 1 and 2, Rescue 2.
Mutual Aid Engine Companies: Manchester-by-the-sea Engine 4, Rockport Engine 1, Essex Engine 1, Beverly Engine 3, Wenham Engine 404, Hamilton Engine 503, Danvers Engine 3, Peabody Engine 4, Salem Engine 2, Topsfield Engine 2, Swampscott Engine 21, Marblehead Engine 21, Boxford Engine 2, Lynn Engines 7 and 10, Rowley Engine 4, Wakefield Engine 2, Saugus Engine 1, Lynnfield Engine 1
Mutual Aid Ladder Companies: Essex Ladder 1, Middleton Ladder 1, Ipswich Truck 1, North Reading Ladder 1, Newburyport Ladder 2, Georgetown Ladder 1
Additional Resources: Rehab 5, Gloucester Police, Lyons Ambulance, State Fire Marshall, Field Comm 60, Department of Fire Services ISU, also I believe task forces were later called in from other counties for relief.


The Loraine Apartments heavily involved as seen from the adjacent parking lot.


This photo shows the nearby Trinity Congregational Church and the threat the fire posed to it. Fire Headquarters can also been to the right side of the photo.


Flames can be seen blowing out of the read of the original fire building extending to the temple in the rear.


Gloucester Ladder 1 can be seen here getting ready to try and protect the nearby Temple.


The fire as seen from the Middle st. side of the fire. Essex Ladder 1 operates it's ladder pipe trying to keep the fire from extending to the Temple which is seen on the right side of the photo.


The Loraine Apartments after much of the building has collapsed into School st., Only the Middle st. side of the building and the elevator shafts can still be seen standing. The leaning chimney fell just after this photo was taken.


The Temple Ahvat Achim can be seen here now fully involved and partially collapsed.


Another shot of the Temple. The fire was stopped here before it could spread to the nearby Sawyer free Library.

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