LYNN — While battling a minor fire at a Western Avenue home on Wednesday morning, the Fire Department encountered two illegal apartments in its basement, District Chief Joseph Zukas said.
Lynn firefighters responded to a working fire at a two-family home at 180 Western Ave. shortly after 7:30 a.m., Zukas said.
“The Fire Department suppression was on scene for 40 minutes,” he said. “We put the fire out quickly. It started on the first-floor rear porch and extended to the building. We’re very fortunate it was found quickly and it didn’t escalate.”
Zukas said the fire was caused by the careless disposal of cigarettes. He said there have been a lot of fires caused by people smoking on their back porches over the past two years.
While Wednesday’s fire was minor, Zukas said it could have been a lot worse. Firefighters found two illegal apartments in the basement of the home. The landlords, Zilar Rahman and Habibun Nessa, were renting out two rooms for $600 a month, for each apartment. The landlords live on the first floor, he said.
The common area in the basement between these apartments was a mess, and the fire could have easily escalated if it made its way inside the home, Zukas said. The fire started near the only exit for the basement, and could have trapped the tenants inside, he said.
To compound matters, Zukas said there were no working smoke or carbon-dioxide detectors in the basement. The basement also lacked a window large enough for the Fire Department to enter, in the event that the fire made its way into the home, he said.
“Nobody should be living in a basement apartment with only one exit and no smoke detectors,” said Zukas. “It’s not safe to do. It’s a fire hazard.”
Zukas said the city’s Inspectional Services Department also responded to the home, and issued a cease-and-desist order to the basement tenants and landlords. Per the order, the tenants living in the basement must move out immediately, and the landlords cannot rent out these rooms in the future, he said.
Given the state of the economy, Zukas said tenants are looking to save money, and landlords are trying to make money. This has resulted in a number of illegal apartments throughout the city in the past few years, he said.
However, Zukas advised people against renting an illegal apartment in the city. The housing situation seen on Western Avenue Wednesday resembled that of an illegal rooming house, he said, and could have sparked a much larger fire.
“Saving a few bucks is not worth risking your life,” he said.
