Firefighter injured in Peabody blaze

PEABODY – A three-alarm fire Monday afternoon forced a firefighter to bail out of a third story window and left nearly 20 residents of the Avalon apartments at 36 Essex Lane without a home.According to Fire Inspector Joseph DiFranco Jr., 20-year Peabody firefighter Steve Franzosa was taken to the Lahey Clinic where he was treated for smoke inhalation before being released around 5 p.m.Franzosa bailed out of the rear third-floor unit, sliding down a ladder head first on his stomach into Wakefield Fire Chief Dave Park’s arms. Peabody Fire Chief Steven Pasdon said he believes Franzosa may have lost the seal on his air mask and was overcome by smoke.The fire is rumored to be caused by electrical work being done in an unoccupied unit, although Pasdon said the incident is still under investigation.The fire department first received the 911 call at 1:11 p.m. Fire Captain Jay Dowling was first to arrive on scene and reported smoke pouring out of the roof of the building. A second alarm was called at 1:27 p.m., followed by a third alarm 32 minutes later at 1:59 p.m.Seven engines and two ladders were called to the stubborn fire, with trucks from Peabody, Lynnfield, Salem, Lynn, and Beverly. Northshore Ambulance and the non-profit organization Rehab Five, who supplied crews with water, were also on site.Pasdon said that nearly 40 fire fighters were needed to fight the fire that had been building from within the walls and ceilings of the first and second floor.”It was very labor intensive,” he said. “Dowling did an outstanding job.”All occupants of both 36 Essex Lane and 34 Essex Lane were safely evacuated, including a small cat that had been hiding in the basement, where Pasdon said the fire “didn’t get too bad.”Pasdon described the fire as smoldering. One of the biggest concerns was how quickly the fire was spreading horizontally, which made it far more difficult to contain. By creating a hole into the roof, fire fighters were able to draw the smoke up and out, forcing the fire to then burn vertically, making it more manageable.Of the 12 units affected by the fire, Pasdon declared six of them completely destroyed by fire, water, and smoke. Two others would need serious repairs.Pasdon said this was the fourth time he had been called to a fire at these apartments. The building’s management declined to comment.