Multifamily house heavily damaged in fire Friday night

WESTFIELD — No one was injured in a two-alarm house fire on Howard Street Friday evening that was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Chris King, at 7:27 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5, the regional dispatch center alerted first responders to a multifamily home built in 1800 that was on fire.

Within four minutes, Engines 3, 4 and 5 with Tower 1, manned by firefighters arrived and found a fire on the wooden structure’s outside porch that had migrated to the home’s rear apartment area and attic, King said Monday.

At 7:42 p.m., a second bell was struck and all of the department’s resources were sent to battle the fire, which was under control within 30 minutes, King said.

Most of the damage, he said, was in non-living spaces in the home and that there was no one at home at the time.

After the second bell, the West Springfield and Holyoke fire departments provided units for station coverage alongside Westfield Fire Department personnel recalled to staff Engine 6 and an ambulance.

The department wanted to thank the 104th Fighter Wing Fire Department, West Springfield Fire Department, Holyoke Fire Department and Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, the Westfield Department of Public Works and the Westfield Police Department for their assistance during this incident.

The department wanted to stress that when disposing of smoking materials, they should put it out, all the way out. Every time.

They also suggested using non-combustible containers, such as a metal can filled with sand, for disposal and wet cigarette butts down. Empty the disposal container of extinguished cigarette butts regularly.

Never discard cigarettes in mulch or potted plants and never toss cigarette butts from porches or windows.

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