03/11/2013 - Shortly after noon time on the after noon of Monday, March 11, 2013 the Whitman Fire Department responded to master box-4428 for the Townhouse Apartments at 90-100 Myrtle Avenue. Due to the ambulance being out of town on a medical, Engine-2 responded with 2-men and Car-3 responded with the shift commander. Companies signed off with nothing showing from the large five-story one hundred twenty unit apartment building but were met by evacuating occupants who reported a fire on floor four. A maintenance worker reported a fire in apartment 414, which he attempted to extinguish but could not. Companies made their way to the fourth floor and found a one room fire. A hose line was connected to the stand pipe system and a line was stretched into the apartment and knocked down the fire. When the ambulance returned, they manned Ladder-1 and responded to the scene. The Ladder-1 crew ascended to the fourth floor and assisted with overhaul and ventilation. A working fire was requested by Acting Chief Joseph Feeney bringing an East Bridgewater engine to the scene and a Hanson engine to the station for coverage. Companies ventilated the fourth and fifth floors which had moderate to heavy smoke conditions. Engine-1 and Ambulance-1 responded with off duty personnel and assisted with ventilation. Searches were negative on all floors. The fire did not extend past the room of origin. Apartments below the fire unit on floors three down to one suffered water damage. Portions of the apartment building are protected with automatic fire sprinklers, but this side of the building was not. The unit was reportedly vacant at the time and the fire was suspicious in nature. The Massachusetts State Police sent members of the Fire Marshal's Office to the scene to investigate, including an accelerate sniffing K-9. Plymouth County Sheriffs Department BCI Unit was also on-scene to assist Whitman Police. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. One person who was injured while evacuating the building was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. No other injuries were reported. *NOTE* These are low resolution cell phone shots and not available for purchase. Some images courtesy Nick Grasso.
