Saugus firefighters snuff out porch fire

SAUGUS – The Saugus Fire Department is investigating the cause of a Sunday afternoon fire that destroyed the front porch of a Birch Street home.Fire Chief James Blanchard said the blaze started at around 3:15 p.m. on the outside of the house, sending flames up to the second floor and melting the vinyl siding.Blanchard said no one was hurt Sunday and the cause of the fire is unknown but not suspicious.?The front wall of the house was on fire,” said Blanchard. “It gutted the front porch and went up the siding on the side of the house. It didn?t get into the house, but damage from the heat and flames went up to the second floor.”Blanchard said a passing neighbor saw the flames and ran around to the back of the house to tell a resident that the house was on fire.Blanchard said the resident, the 15-year-old son of the homeowner, was home and had no idea a fire had started.?That?s a very dangerous fire because what happens is it?ll gain momentum and heat, and break through the windows then roar into the house,” said Blanchard. “The smoke detectors won?t activate because it?s outside the house. When it breaks through the windows, the fire has a full head of steam.”Blanchard said luckily that scenario didn?t play out, but noted there was some smoke damage in the house even though the windows were closed.Firefighters extinguished the fire in about 30 minutes and then had to pull open the porch walls and the siding to make sure there was no remaining fire, said Blanchard.The Wakefield Fire Department also responded to the blaze, while fire departments from Melrose, Lynn and Malden responded to cover Saugus while the fire was being fought.The charred remains of the porch could be seen on Monday morning with burnt debris piled on the lawn and a stream of ice from the fire hoses running down the sidewalk.The homeowners declined to comment.Blanchard said it was tough work battling the fire with temperatures in the teens on Sunday.?It was really cold for all the guys,” said Blanchard. “I was freezing when I got there and I wasn?t even wet. The other guys were soaked. It?s really tough conditions this time of year.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].