DUNSTABLE — A four-alarm fire that engulfed a barn connected to a residential home was successfully extinguished Monday morning, Dunstable Fire Chief William Farrell reported.
The blaze at a Pleasant Street property was called in at around 9:35 a.m. Firefighters from the local station arrived promptly to heavy flames spreading quickly from the barn to the attached two-story wood frame house.
An aggressive attack was launched as the residents had already evacuated to safety.
To combat the significant fire, Deputy Chief Patrick Kerrigan escalated the response to three alarms and subsequently four, summoning additional manpower and equipment.
No injuries were reported, but at least two individuals have been displaced and are currently receiving support from relatives.
Mutual aid was provided by numerous neighboring fire departments including Pepperell, Tyngsborough, Westford, Groton, Ayer, Devens, Billerica, Lowell, Townsend, Dracut, and Littleton from Massachusetts, as well as Nashua, Hollis, Brookline, and Pelham from New Hampshire.
The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Special Operations Rehab Unit also attended the scene, while Merrimack, N.H., Fire Department provided station coverage.
A preliminary investigation by the Dunstable Fire Department and the Massachusetts State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit, working with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, concluded that the fire originated accidentally.
It was likely caused by the improper disposal of wood stove ashes.
