Family escapes safely from Lynn fire

LYNN – Residents escaped safely from a midnight fire at 185 Williams Ave. but firefighters spent an hour Tuesday putting out the stubborn blaze.Neighbors and in-laws said a family of four lived in the two-and-a half-story wood house with two relatives. Firefighters from Engines 1, 5 and 10 and Ladder 1 responded to find heavy fire burning one side of the building. They sounded a first and second alarm within minutes, summoning Engines 3, 7 and 9 and Ladder 4 to the narrow avenue off Chatham Street.Fire crews extinguished the fire on the second floor but it broke out on the third floor. They put it out only to chase it to the attic where firefighters struggled to break through the ceiling to reach the fire.”They were up there quite a while,” said Deputy Fire Chief Dennis Carmody.The Red Cross was called to assist the residents. Fire crews remained at the fire scene until 6:30 a.m.The fire’s cause is under investigation. It is the third multi-alarm fire to leave local residents displaced since Jan. 9.According to city assessing records the building is owned by Thouck Dy and Phanravy Sam. They have owned the building since 1993.