Salem Observer : Salem, fire

Fire leaves dozens homeless in Salem

Salem Editor — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:22:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

An unattended stove sparked the April 2 fire inside of a Westgate Arms apartment building that left one man hospitalized and roughly 30 people without a home, fire officials said.

The three-alarm blaze began inside Apt. 12 of the three-story building at 25 Oak Ridge Avenue just before 6 p.m. Firefighters arrived on the scene within three minutes of the first report, though officials said the fire later extended into the walls and the ceiling, forcing crews to use thermal cameras to track down the remnants of the blaze.

Apartments on the second and third floor closest to Apt. 12, which was left gutted by the blaze, suffered some damage from the fire, according to apartment management.

Repairs are expected to take up to three weeks or more to complete, and in the meantime, residents of the 25-unit apartment building have been either given rooms at the Red Roof Inn or asked to stay with friends or family.

Though she was not home at the time, resident Erin Torrey said she had “a panic attack” when her boyfriend called to let her know about the fire. Standing outside the building on Friday with a week’s worth of work clothes, Torrey said she and her boyfriend were staying in Hampstead for the time being.

Her first-floor apartment had been left undamaged by the fire, but she expected it would be more than a week before she could return to the home she’s lived in for a year and a half.

“We were really lucky on the ground floor,” she said. “It barely even smells anymore.” The American Red Cross was also on hand on Friday to give assistance to residents who have been forced to relocated for the time being because of the fire.

Though one unidentified man was transported to Elliot Hospital in Manchester for smoke inhalation, officials said he was released on Friday.

Salem received mutual aid from Windham, Derry, Hampstead, Pelham and Methuen and Haverhill, Mass., while firefighters from Atkinson and Plaistow provided coverage for the rest of the town during the fire.

Man arrested for arson after setting trailer on fire in Salem

Salem Editor — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:01:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

The arrest of a Massachusetts man over an alleged stolen car stereo led to the discovery of a potentially life-threatening arson attempt in a trailer park, police said.

Police charged Robert Zuill, 38, of Lawrence, Mass., with receiving stolen property, false reports and arson after officers found a car stereo hidden under Zuill’s coat at about 1 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, then went to the trailer home he said was his residence and found the place on fire.

Officers initially stopped Zuill and an unnamed woman after observing the two acting suspiciously in the vicinity of the Salem Depot. While confirming the pair’s identities, officers responded to their alleged residence at 34 Traveler’s Drive, where police said they found the trailer’s windows smashed out, smoke detectors ripped from the ceiling and a torn up phone book placed on top of an lighted stove.

Officers extinguished the fire, and damage was limited to the stove and the hood, according to authorities. Police said the landlord confirmed that the pair had moved into the home the day before.

Described as “cooperative” with authorities throughout the incident, the woman confirmed Zuill’s identity after he gave police false information and accompanied the officers to the trailer park. She told police that Zuill had caused the damage to the trailer home over the past two days.

Zuill, who also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail pending his arraignment at Salem District Court.

Trapped at Salem mall

Salem Editor — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:27:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A woman was trapped in an elevator for about half an hour when a transformer near the food court at the Rockingham Mall malfunctioned, causing electrical glitches. The woman, who left immediately after being rescued and was not identified, was not injured, said Salem Fire Marshal Jeffrey Emanuelson.

The mall was evacuated just after 5 p.m on Monday, Sept. 8, when Salem fire responded to the mall’s fire alarm. When firefighters arrived, there was a strong electrical odor in the Food Court area, accompanied by light smoke and flashing lights.

After the evacuation began, firefighters went to work with National Grid and the mall’s electrician to find the source of the problem.

The three-phase transformer responsible was on the west side of the mall, just outside the food court entrance.

“In high-demand electrical users, it’s the most efficient way to provide electricity,” said Emanuelson.

Emanuelson said the problem started because something happened that caused the transformer to get less power, and it was running on about two-thirds of the power it should have been getting. A motor helping to run the electricity burned out, and Emanuelson said it’s not clear whether the motor burning out caused the transformer to malfunction, or vice versa.

Power was lost in the food court and other stores on the second floor of the mall. About 25 percent of the mall’s second level was without power when customers were allowed back into the mall at around 7:30 p.m., Emanuelson said. National Grid and electricians were working on fixing the transformer immediately after the incident.

“It appears that everything is back to normal this morning. They were working on it all through the night,” said Emanuelson on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Mall security and management aided in evacuating the mall quickly. Salem police also helped with the evacuation and kept traffic flowing out of the mall afterwards.

“All the agencies worked well together, between police, fire, mall management and security, and National Grid to minimize the impact to the mall business and to bring it to a successful conclusion with no injuries,” Emanuelson said.

Salem fire called suspicious

Salem Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:41:00 GMT

BY JIM DEVINE

SALEM – A fire from last week where rescue workers saved three small dogs from a Millville Street home has been deemed suspicious by investigators.

Despite heavy snowfall throughout the day on Friday, Feb. 22, firefighters were able to respond quickly to the cape home at 32 Millville St., according to Asst. Chief Paul Parisi.

The speedy attack on the fire was possible due to a staffing boost of two additional firefighters on shift made affordable by a federal government grant accepted last year.

“We knocked the fire down and kept it confined to the first floor where it began,” Parisi said.

After Fire Marshal Jeff Emanuelson’s preliminary investigation of the cause, the fire’s origin has been considered suspicious and turned over to Salem police.

The home, owned by Nancy Concemi, was left uninhabitable, with fire damage on the first floor, Parisi said, while the second floor was damaged by heavy heat and smoke.

Local eatery gutted in fire

Salem Editor — Wed, 02 May 2007 16:38:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

Salem police and fire officials are investigating what has been called a suspicious fire that destroyed a local eatery on Saturday, April 28.

The fire broke out around 5 a.m. at the Canobie Clam Box at 80 North Policy St., according to Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Emanuelson.

The small takeout restaurant was closed for the season at the time of the blaze and no one was injured.

Emanuelson couldn’t reveal much about the nature of the fire because of the ongoing investigation, but he said the cause of the fire seemed suspicious.

“We’re actively investigating this right now with the Salem Police Department,” he said.

Due to the construction of the 20-by-30-foot building, the fire was difficult to extinguish, Emanuelson said. There were multiple layers of roofing and siding as well as a couple ceilings which firefighters had to battle through.

“It was pretty stubborn,” he said. “We made mostly an exterior attack and had it under control within about an hour.”

The building is currently owned by Anthony and Mabel Mottolo of Andover, Mass., according to town records.

The Mottolos were unavailable for comment.

Despite an aggressive attack against the fire, Emanuelson said the building suffered more than $50,000 worth of damage to both the structure itself and equipment inside.

“It’s pretty much a total loss at this point,” he said.

The Clam Box restaurant was scheduled to open within the next month for the summer season.

Fire damage - Family cat dies in blaze at Taylor Street home

Salem Editor — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 19:39:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

A family of five has been displaced after a fire caused heavy damage to their home and killed their pet cat.

The Monday, March 5, fire was likely caused by a candle which was either left burning or not properly extinguished, according to Salem Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Emanuelson.

Nicole Talarico, who lives at 13 Taylor St., had just arrived at Lancaster School, where she runs an afterschool program, when she received a call from a neighbor telling her the house was burning.

No one was home at the time of the fire. Talarico’s husband, Frank, was also at work and their three young children were all under the care of others.

Talarico told firefighters she thought she had extinguished the candle, Emanuelson said.

Numerous calls from neighbors to the fire department were placed around 3:09 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene only two minutes later, Emanuelson said.

When firefighters arrived, they found the bottom portion of the home burning and smoking.

Emanuelson said the candle was located in the family’s finished basement, which served as a playroom for their three young children.

Though firefighters made a quick effort, Emanuelson said the basement was mostly destroyed and the first floor suffered extensive smoke and water damage.

The Talaricos stood in the driveway with tears in their eyes as they watched firefighters extinguish the flames and search for their cat, which perished in the blaze.

Emanuelson said he estimates the damage to the home to be roughly $50,000. It will need numerous repairs before the family can move back in.

“They’ll be out of their home for a while,” he said. “I would suspect a few months.”

Currently the Talaricos are living with nearby relatives while they assess the damage.