Press Release  Smoking Materials Seen as Possible Cause of Chelsea Fire

CHELSEA — The five-alarm fire that consumed two buildings, damaged two others, and left dozens of people displaced began on a rear porch and may have started with careless disposal of smoking materials, said Chelsea Fire Chief Leonard A. Albanese, Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton, and State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine.

“In Chelsea and other densely built cities and towns, a fire on a back porch can quickly grow to involve multiple buildings,” said Chief Albanese. “Many of these fires start with cigarettes and other smoking materials that are carelessly discarded. They can smolder undetected, spread to the main structure, and extend to nearby homes within minutes. I want to thank the Chelsea and mutual aid firefighters who did a remarkable job containing this fire, which grew very, very quickly. Under slightly different circumstances, the entire neighborhood could have been threatened.”

The Chelsea Fire Department responded to Maverick Street at about 11:40 am on March 1 to find heavy fire in the rear of a three-story building. The fire had already extended to a two-story building next door. Second, third, and fourth alarms were struck shortly after arrival and a fifth alarm was struck at about 12:15. Two firefighters were rescued after running low on air but were not injured and returned to work at the scene. No civilian injuries were reported, and firefighters had the blaze under control just after 1:00 pm.

The origin and cause of the fire were investigated by the Chelsea Fire Department, Chelsea Police Department, and State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office. They jointly determined that the fire began on a rear porch at 50 Maverick St. While investigators did not reach a conclusive determination on its cause, they agreed that it was not suspicious and that the improper disposal of smoking materials was a potential factor.

“We see porch fires every year around this time as the weather starts to warm up,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “Remember that grills should never be used on a porch or balcony. If you smoke, or if you have guests who do, please be careful with cigarettes and other smoking materials. Never stub them out on a railing, toss them over the side, or drop them in a planter. The embers can easily ignite dead leaves or other debris and cause a fire that spreads to the home. Always use a heavy ashtray with water or sand and put it out, all the way, every time.”

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