Firefighters battled the bitter cold and reported water problems at a two-alarm fire in Manchester-by-the-Sea late into the night.
The blaze lit up the sky on Summer Street in the North Shore community in a fire in an unattached two-story garage with a long driveway, posing another challenge, according to social media posts.
Veteran photojournalist Stanley Forman, a Pulitzer Prize winner when he worked for the Herald, tweeted from the scene: “Very long driveway with issues getting water to the fire with first hydrant out of service.”
There were no reported injuries, but no official word was posted just before midnight by the town as the fire was still being put out. State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, however, has already warned against fire hazards as the temperatures plummet.
“We’re expecting very cold weather in the nights ahead, and home heating appliances will be working overtime,” said Davine just before the start of the polar vortex. “Heating equipment is the leading cause of carbon monoxide at home and the second leading cause of residential fires. Whether you’re using gas, oil, solid fuel, or space heaters to keep warm, be sure you keep safe, too.”
Davine said there were nearly 6,000 heating fires in Massachusetts from 2019 to 2023. These fires claimed eight lives, caused 139 injuries to firefighters and residents, and contributed to over $42 million in damage. And in 2023 alone, Massachusetts fire departments reported finding carbon monoxide at nearly 5,000 non-fire incidents.
Some on social media quickly alluded to the 2016 movie by the same name as the quaint town starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams who lost their children to a house fire. It’s a complicated film about depression, guilt, post-traumatic stress and painful family dynamics. It was also a break-out performance by Casey Affleck.
Glenn Preston contributed to this story.
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