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Photo by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell. After Westwood firefighters had extinguished large flames at the historic Daniel Draper house, a much smaller flame reappears in a wall opening under a firefighter on a ladder.
11-17-2023 12:37am
Westwood Fire Department Responds to 4 Fire Outbreaks in One Day
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Westwood Fire Department responded to four outbreaks of fire at three different addresses on Thursday, November 16th, which included fire appearing for a second time at an Alder Road residence at night, after it was thought to be contained that afternoon.
Around 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., the first report of fire came in regarding the residence at 50 Alder Road. While significant, Westwood Firefighters Local 1994, the firefighters union, announced on Facebook that the fire was contained within 30 minutes. Norwood, Walpole, and Medfield fire departments also responded, providing mutual aid.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell. Firefighters from neighboring towns head up Mill Street to the Daniel Draper house to assist. Engines from Canton, Dedham, Medfield, Needham, Norwood, and Walpole line up on Mill Street behind the Westwood Fire Department's engine, which was parked directly outside the Daniel Draper house, with a ladder extended.Also, within that timeframe, Westwood Fire was called to 35 Southwest Park, where CGL Electronic Security, a security system supplier, is housed with its onsite repair facility. There, Westwood firefighters were faced with a hazardous materials situation with a toluene fire.
Toluene is a colorless, aromatic liquid, and is commonly used in making paint, paint thinner, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives, rubber, and is used in some printing and tanning processes. Mutual aid responses came from Dedham, Canton, and Dover and Sharon fire departments in the Tier 1 Hazmat response.
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After seemingly resolving the two fires from the afternoon, around 8:30 p.m., Westwood Fire was called again to a working fire at 50 Alder Road. Flames were reported to have reappeared in the evening.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell. Westwood Fire firefighters gather outside the Daniel Draper house on Mill Street, where Westwood Fire Department was joined by a robust mutual aid response from surrounding towns.Around 9:00 p.m., Westwood Fire was called to a report of fire at 65 Mill Street, the location of the historic Daniel Draper house, which locals may know as a small, white Cape Cod style home with historic placard displayed outside. Reports seem to indicate that flames from the basement eventually spread to the attic. The second alarm fire drew a large mutual aid response, with fire departments from Medfield, Walpole, Dedham, Canton, Needham, and Norwood all sending engines. As Westwood Fire fought to contain the flames at 65 Mill Street, it was concurrently responding to 50 Alder Road.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell. A ladder from a Westwood Fire engine is raised to the attic of the Daniel Draper House.An hour after the fire was reported at Mill Street, the response continued as firefighters broke through the steaming structure, to ensure that all hot spots were being addressed.
At the time of publication of this story, Westwood Minute is aware of no injuries that have been reported from the four fires on Thursday.
