Belmont Fire Log: Elevator Rescue on the First Day of School

Did I forget to do something?

Sept. 1 – Just before 3:30 p.m., Engine 1 and the Ladder truck were dispatched to a Beech Street two-family for a report of natural gas inside the house. The second floor occupant said he could smell gas coming from the floor below. Fire crews could also detect the unmistakable odor. Since the downstairs neighbors weren’t in at the time, firefighters scrambled through an unlocked window. Once inside, they proceeded to the stove where they found the knob in the “on” position. The knob was turned off and the apartment was ventilated. The fire chief phoned the homeowner and left a message on their cell phone.

One final time

Sept. 1 – A minute before 8 p.m., Engine 1 was dispatched to a different Beech Street location for smoke coming from the back of a two family. Turns out it was a barbecue.

... and it all falls down
Sept. 1 – At a quarter to 10 p.m., a fire crew was sent to a Oak Street home after the homeowner called to say that the house was in danger of collapse. With firefighters at the ready, the town's building inspector determined that the structure - an old-style Colonial built in 1890 – was safe to be inside but two basement support columns needed to be repaired pronto.

Now that's hot
Sept. 2 – It was so hot on Monday that a smoke detector in a Country Club Lane garage activated simply due to the heat.

Summer sparks 
Sept. 2 – There was an impromptu light show at the corner of Lewis Road and School Street just after 8 p.m. when an electrical wire began shorting out and started a fire on the secondary wires. Belmont Light was notified.

Stuck on the first day

Sept. 3 – Just before 10:30 a.m., on the first day of school, the Ladder truck was sent to the Wellington School after two men became stuck in an elevator. How embarrassing! Fire crews rescued the men by shutting down the elevator and then rebooting the electrical system. The elevator company was notified.

Wild gas grill takes on wooden deckSept. 3 – At a quarter ’til 7 p.m., fire crews proceeded to Orchard Street for a gas grill gone bad. They arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the grill, located against the rear wooden porch. The grill was moved away from the house and the fuel source shut off. The remaining fire was extinguished by fire personnel.

Box truck totaled in blaze
Sept. 5 – Just after 3 a.m., Engine 2 and the Ladder Truck made a middle-of-the-night run to Crestview Road where they discovered a box truck with its engine compartment completely on fire in a person’s driveway. Two water hoses were used to extinguish the fire which originate in the engine area and extended to storage area of the vehicle.

Good-bye summer
Sept. 6 – Just after 6:30 p.m., a final barbecue on Arthur Road produced so much smoke the fire department was called to investigate. Just the final throngs of summer.