LYNN — A porch fire displaced a family of three Monday morning on Murray Street.
The first call about the fire at 39 Murray St. came in at 10:53 a.m., said Lynn Fire Chief Stephen Archer.
Engine 7 firefighters from the Pine Hill fire station were filling out paperwork at the headquarters on Western Avenue when they saw smoke in the air and put in the call for a working fire, said District Chief Joseph Zukas.
“Our crews were on scene here in mere minutes,” said Archer.
Three engines, one ladder, an ambulance and C-4 on-duty district chief responded to the fire.
The fire appeared to have started on the back porch, said Archer. Two adults and a dog were in the single-family home when the fire broke out. They were able to self-evacuate, Archer said.
Archer said the department’s investigators have determined that the fire appears to have been accidental. He said the apparent cause was an electrical problem in the battery pack for outdoor solar-rope lights.
He said firefighters converging on the scene saw a tremendous amount of fire on the back porch and quickly extinguished it, although the fire was able to make its way inside the house.
“We held it at a working fire, so did not have to strike any extra alarms,” Archer said.
An extra engine was called to the fire for manpower. The fire melted siding on two adjacent houses, said Zukas.
No injuries to firefighters or residents were reported. The house has extensive smoke, fire and water damage. Archer said that the house will require a lot of renovation before the residents will be able to move back in.
“It was really a great stop by the crews to save the rest of the house,” said Archer. “Fortunately, everything went smoothly.”
