STONEHAM — Chief Matthew Grafton reports that the Stoneham Fire Department responded to and extinguished a house fire last night.
On Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7:53 p.m., the Stoneham Fire Department responded to a report of smoke in a home at 427 William St.
Upon arrival, first responders found a light haze of smoke on the first floor of the home. The residents of the home reported having a fire going in their fireplace and then observed smoke coming from an electrical outlet. The homeowner put out the fire in the fireplace before crews arrived, but the area was still smoldering.
Crews thoroughly searched the home and found smoke coming from a small hole near the furnace in the basement and declared a working fire.
Stoneham Fire worked quickly and opened an exterior wall around the furnace vent pipes to prevent the fire from spreading. Crews then opened an interior wall next to the fireplace to extinguish the fire from all angles.
The Winchester Fire Department responded to the scene as a Rescue Intervention Team (RIT), as a precaution.
There were no reported injuries. Due to the nature of the fire, the home electrical system and gas were shut off while crews worked to put out the fire.
The residents are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Stoneham Fire Department.
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