In the early morning hours of Saturday October 21st, 2006 Newburyport firefighters responded to a structure fire on the very narrow, densely packed Ship Street off of Water Street. Crews were confronted with heavy fire conditions that quickly raced from the basement to the attic and through the roof, a second alarm was struck. With an exposure on the bravo side, crews began setting up ladder pipes, Newburyport Ladder 2 set up on the alpha sector and Amesbury Ladder 1 set up on the delta sector. As conditions deteriorated a 3rd alarm was struck, West Newbury Ladder 1 set up on the street parallel to Ship Street at the rear of the house. Eventually the the rear of the house suffered partial structural collapse, 3 additional engines were special called to scene bringing the equivalent of a 4th alarm response. By sunrise the fire had been knocked down and companies continued to wet down hotspots and began overhaul. Apparatus that responded: Newburyport Engines 1,4,5,7 Ladder 2, Amesbury Engine 1 and Ladder 1, Salisbury Engine 201, West Newbury Engine 23 and Ladder 1, Rowley Engine 4, Seabrook, NH Engine 2 and Newbury Engine 9.
Click here to view video of the fire (Runtime: 2 minutes and 36 seconds)
West Newbury Ladder 1 setting up it's ladder pipe at the rear of the house.
Amesbury Ladder 1's pipe flowing water on the delta sector.
Here the rear of the second and third floors can be seen collapsed into the first floor.
West Newbury firefighters positioning their ladder.
Amesbury crews making up.
Newburyport Ladder 2 cooling hotspots on the 3rd floor.
Newburyport crews enjoying food and refreshments at the rehab area after a hard fought battle. Notice due to the narrow street, Newburyport Engine 1 barely had room to deploy it's ladder rack.
West Newbury Ladder 1 at the rear of the house.
Newbury Engine 9 making up.
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