The fire department responded to a structure fire on Saturday night, March 8, at 5 Admirals Way, the Chelsea Village Apartments, where they found one person suffering from burns and smoke injuries.
That resident was rushed to Mass General in Boston and is apparently recovering.
Just after 11:00 p.m., Chelsea 9-1-1 operators received a signal from 5 Admirals Way indicating the fire alarm system had activated. Engine 1 from the Prattville Station, Engine 3 and Ladder 2 from the Mill Hill Station, Tower Ladder 1 and the Deputy Chief from Central Station were dispatched to the call.
The property at 5 Admirals Way is a 7-story residential building, which is partially protected by an automatic sprinkler system. Because of the large number of residents in this building it is considered a high-risk occupancy, which requires the fire department to dispatch a minimum of three engines and two ladder trucks to all fire alarm activations.
At the time of this incident, Engine 2 was just clearing from a call on Congress Avenue where they had assisted in delivering a baby, and responded to the fire alarm activation call.
Engine 2 was the first company to arrive on scene and reported the alarm activation was for floor 5. The crew climbed the stairs to the 5th floor and reported a heavy smoke condition in the hallway. The two firefighters from Engine 2 had carried 200 feet of hose with them and quickly began to connect the hose to the building standpipe system.
Additional crews arrived on scene and Deputy Chief Robert Zalewski ordered a “working fire” assignment.
The crew from Tower 1 made their way to the 5th floor and located the fire in Unit 511. The crew crawled into the apartment to search for the occupants while Engine 2’s crew advanced a hose line from the stairwell.
Engine 1 and Ladder 2 made their way to the 6th floor to evacuate the apartments above the fire and to check for fire extension. While climbing the stairs to the 6th floor, Engine 1’s crew found an occupant in the stairwell, on the 4th floor, who was burned and having trouble breathing. The crew brought the occupant down to the lobby and treated him until EMS arrived. The occupant was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Engine 3 arrived on scene and was given Engine 1’s original assignment to check for fire extension on the 6th floor.
Crews on the 5th floor extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to any adjacent units. There was a heavy smoke condition on floors 5 and 6. Crews vented the building and used multi gas meters to monitor the air quality levels before allowing occupants to return to their apartments.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the department’s Fire Investigation Unit.