Sunday, November 11, 2012
Two firefighters were injured when a fire
that caused an estimated $150,000 in damages flashed over on them,
knocking them to the ground while they were fighting a two-alarm fire
Saturday.
Captain Benton Keene said crews were called to 22 Buttonwood Road
at 5:48 p.m. for a reported house fire, and found heavy flames on the
right side of the house, and those flames climbing up the side of the
house, up into the eaves and roof.
Firefighters were inside the house which was mostly
clear, when flames flashed over on them, knocking some firefighters
over, sending two to Sturdy Memorial Hospital for treatment of back
injuries. Keene said one firefighter has been released and another
continues to be be treated Saturday night.
A woman and her teenage daughter safely escaped
flames that tore through their large, single-story house while they were
cooking dinner Saturday night.
The homeowner, Debbie Estano of 22 Buttonwood Road,
was cooking dinner for her herself and her 19-year-old daughter when the
daughter first spotted the reflection of flames coming from windows off
of the rear of the house, according to Estano's sister, Claire
MacKenzie of Mansfield.
They took refuge in the home of neighbors Joe and
Kathleen Arancio at 21 Buttonwood Road, which is across the street from
their home.
MacKenzie said her niece thought the flames were
coming from the house next door. But then the home's smoke detectors
started to go off, and both knew something was wrong.
Arancio said she helped Estano and her daughter while
her husband Joe ran outside. He he immediately spotted flames coming
from the side of the Estanos' house.
Joe Arancio also said an explosion quickly followed, in the area where he spotted the flames.
"She came over in a panic" Kathleen Arancio said.
She said that at first she couldn't figure out if
there was an intruder in the house or if something else was wrong. Then
they were able to determine the house was on fire.
The Arancios said fire crews arrived within minutes, and began to fight the blaze.
The first firefighters on the scene immediately
called a working fire when they arrived and a second alarm was sounded
within minutes after the initial crews arrived.
Crews from Mansfield and Attleboro assisted Norton at
the scene, while firefighters from Easton and Rehoboth provided station
coverage.
It took firefighters about 30 minutes to knock down
the blaze, and crews spent and extensive amount of time overhauling the
scene, Keene said.
He said the fire isn't suspicious and that fire
investigators remained at the scene late Saturday as they try to figure
out how the fire started.
