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Stoneham Fire Department Extinguishes Two-Alarm Residential Fire

July 31, 2019 by John Guilfoil

STONEHAM — Chief Matthew Grafton reports that the Stoneham Fire Department extinguished a two-alarm fire at a home this afternoon.

Stoneham firefighters stretch a hose into a home on Pomeworth Street. (Courtesy Photo Stoneham Fire)

At approximately 1:45 p.m., Stoneham Fire received a 911 call reporting a basement fire at home on Pomeworth Street.

Ladder 1 and Engine 2 responded to the scene and found heavy smoke showing from a three-story wood frame home. Due to today’s extreme heat and size of the building, a second alarm was struck.

Crews from Winchester, Wakefield, Melrose, Reading and Woburn arrived to assist while the Saugus, Medford and Malden fire departments provided station coverage.

Firefighters first entered the basement and found no fire conditions. They then went to the first floor and encountered heavy smoke and a small fire in one of the bedrooms, which they quickly put out.

Residents of the home were outside prior to firefighters’ arrival and no one was injured.

After ventilating smoke from the entire building, crews cleared the scene just after 2:30 p.m.

“Given how hot it is today and the amount of smoke crews encountered, this fire had the potential to be extremely dangerous,” Chief Grafton said. “Thankfully the fire was small in nature and we were able to quickly get it under control and prevent extension. I want to thank all the responding companies who assisted us this afternoon.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Stoneham Fire Department, Stoneham Police Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office.

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Stoneham Firefighters Evacuate Stop & Shop Following Refrigeration Gas Leak

June 12, 2019 by John Guilfoil

Stoneham firefighters responded to Stop & Shop last night for a refrigeration leak. (Courtesy Photo Stoneham Fire Department)

STONEHAM — Chief Matthew Grafton reports that the Stoneham Fire Department responded to Stop & Shop last night after a refrigeration leak resulted in a hazmat response.

At 4:45 p.m., Stoneham Fire received a 911 call from someone in Stop & Shop, 259 Main St., reporting that there was a refrigerant leak in the building.

Engine 2 and Ladder 1 responded to the scene. Crews entered the store, and upon seeing haze in the air, evacuated the building. Stoneham Police and Action Ambulance also responded to provide assistance while the Reading Fire Department provided station coverage.

Through an on scene investigation, firefighters determined that there was a leak in the store’s refrigeration system, near the florist section, where construction work was underway.

Due to the nature of the incident, the Department of Fire Services’ Tier 1 Hazardous Materials Response Team was called to the scene for the reported hazmat.

Hazmat crews entered the store wearing self-contained breathing apparatus to assess the situation and to check the air quality.

Initial readings in Stop & Shop showed high levels of the refrigerant, an asphyxiant, in the air. The hazmat team was able to stop the leak and further ventilate the building.

No one was injured.

“I’m thankful that no one was injured during this incident and that crews from Stoneham Fire and the state hazmat team were able to mitigate the situation,” Chief Grafton said.

Stoneham Fire remained on scene until around 9:45 p.m. ventilating the building. The Board of Health arrived and determined the store needed to be closed for the remainder of the night. Stop & Shop reopened this morning following proper Board of Health procedures.

“All effected food items were discarded and all racks were sanitized and sterilized prior to the store’s reopening,” said Board of Health agent John Fralick.

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Photos: Stoneham Fire Department Extinguishes House Fire on Oak Street

March 28, 2019 by John Guilfoil

The Stoneham Fire Department extinguished a fire at a residential home on Oak Street last night. (Courtesy Photo Stoneham Fire Department)

Crews made an aggressive attack, first extinguishing the bulk of the fire from the outside and then extending a hose inside the home. Ladder 1 was set up in the event that the roof needed to be vented while crews advanced hose lines. (Courtesy Photo Stoneham Fire Department)

The Stoneham Fire Department received multiple 911 calls reporting a fire on Oak Street. (Courtesy Photo Stoneham Fire Department)

STONEHAM — Chief Matthew Grafton reports that the Stoneham Fire Department extinguished a residential house fire late last night.

On Wednesday, March 27, just before 11 p.m., the Stoneham Fire Department received several 911 calls reporting a house fire at 9 Oak St.

Upon arrival, Engine 2 and 3 and Ladder 1 found heavy fire showing on the front porch of the two-story wood frame house. The Winchester Fire Department also responded to the scene to assist, while the Reading and Wakefield Fire Departments provided station coverage.

The homeowners, who were awake at the time the fire started, evacuated prior to firefighters’ arrival. No injuries were reported.

The fire, which originated in the vicinity of the porch, extended to the first floor and into the walls leading up to the second floor. Crews made an aggressive attack, first extinguishing the bulk of the fire from the outside. Firefighters then extended a line inside the house to contain the fire from extending further while simultaneously doing a search of the house to ensure everyone had evacuated.

The house sustained heavy fire, heat, smoke and water damage, and was deemed uninhabitable.

Crews cleared the scene at 1:50 a.m. Chief Grafton would like to thank Stoneham Police, DPW, Action Ambulance and Stoneham Fire Auxiliary, which were also on scene to assist.

“Group 2 did a great job putting out this fire and preventing further extension into the second floor,” Chief Grafton said. “This house had working smoke detectors, which is so important, because had the homeowners not been awake when the fire started, the detectors would have alerted them.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Stoneham Fire Department.

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Winter Weather Advisory: Snow Expected Wednesday Night into Thursday

February 27, 2019 by John Guilfoil

The National Weather Service is forecasting a plowable snow event beginning late this afternoon and continuing through the early morning hours on Thursday. While the onset is forecast to begin late this afternoon, there may be impacts to the Thursday morning commute. Temperatures are also forecast to be cold, with widespread values from the upper teens through about 20 degrees.

MEMA reports that:

Light snow will spread across all of Southern New England.
- Beginning late this afternoon into evening for the CT River Valley, 4-6 p.m., spreading over the remainder of S New England, 6-8 p.m.
- Bulk of the snowfall occurring around 10 pm to 4 a.m. Thursday with snowfall rates less than an inch per hour.
- Snow tapering 4- 7 a.m. Thursday, west to east.
- Total snow accumulations around 2 to 4 inches with locally higher amounts.
  - The potential exists for a swath of 3-6 inches of snow within 20 miles north or south of the MA-Pike, including the Berkshires and greater Worcester and Boston Metro Areas.
  - Not ruling out amounts that could come close to warning-level criteria of 6 inches.

Given temperatures will be around 20 degrees/upper teens for most areas throughout the event. Residents should expect:

- - - Snow accumulation on all surfaces.
    - A light and fluffy snow, with snowfall rates less than an inch per hour, should make for easy and quick clean-up.
    - Treatments may have difficulty working given cold temperatures forecast overnight.
    - Expect reductions in visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Six Firefighters Join Stoneham Fire Department

February 26, 2019 by John Guilfoil

Left to right: Firefighter Stephen Ternullo, Brian Cronin, Kyle Bowdidge, Chief Matthew Grafton, Firefighters Nicholas Rolli, Evan Kotowski and Anthony Luciano. (Courtesy Photo Stoneham Fire Department)

STONEHAM — Chief Matthew Grafton is pleased to announce that six firefighters were appointed to the Stoneham Fire Department yesterday.

During a ceremony on Monday, Feb. 25, Town Clerk Maria Sagarino swore in firefighters Stephen Ternullo, Brian Cronin, Kyle Bowdidge, Nicholas Rolli, Evan Kotowski and Anthony Luciano.

Two of the six appointments fill open positions from when firefighters Bill McNulty and Anthony Riggillo retired last year. The other four positions were made possible through a Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The $505,000 FEMA grant will be administered over three years, with Stoneham also contributing approximately $314,000 over that time period.

“We’re extremely grateful to FEMA for this grant and to the Stoneham Select Board and Town Administrator for supporting this endeavor,” Chief Grafton said. “The addition of six firefighters allows us to increase services to residents and better ensure that crews are safe at all times.”

The department now has 43 members. Prior to applying for the FEMA grant, Chief Grafton completed a staffing survey of surrounding communities and found that Stoneham was not staffed adequately compared to similar cities and towns. Additionally, with approximately 1,000 more housing units coming to Stoneham and public sector employees now required to operate under Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines, increasing the fire department’s roster was crucial.

Firefighter Ternullo is a 2011 graduate of Stoneham High School and served in the army as a military police officer from 2011 to 2016. He currently works as an HVAC technician.

A 2013 graduate of Stoneham High School, firefighter Cronin received his bachelor’s degree in science marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and is a certified EMT. He currently works as a fire equipment technician and previously volunteered for the Stoneham Fire Auxiliary.

Firefighter Bowdidge is a 2009 graduate of Stoneham High School and is currently attending Middlesex Community College while working as a carpenter. He is a member of the Army National Guard, a position he’s held since 2012. Firefighter Bowdidge is in the process of completing his EMT certification.

Firefighter Rolli is a 2014 graduate of Malden Catholic High School and received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Anselm College. While in college, he completed an internship with the Hudson, New Hampshire Police Department and recently completed his EMT certification. Firefighter Rolli previously worked part-time for the Stoneham Department of Public Works.

Following his graduation from Stoneham High School in 2014, firefighter Kotowski attended Bridgewater State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He currently works as a public safety officer for a healthcare provider.

Firefighter Luciano is a 2010 graduate of Arlington Catholic High School and is currently a member of the Stoneham Department of Public Works. He previously worked within the facilities department for Stoneham Public Schools and the Burlington Department of Public Works. Firefighter Luciano recently completed schooling to obtain his Class B driver’s license (CDL).

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Stoneham Fire Department Extinguishes Two-Alarm Residential Fire

Stoneham Firefighters Evacuate Stop & Shop Following Refrigeration Gas Leak

Winter Weather Advisory: Snow Expected Wednesday Night into Thursday

Six Firefighters Join Stoneham Fire Department

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