At 2:30 a.m, on Jan 21, it was just a cold New England morning for two young EMTs responding to another medical emergency in Lawrence, Mass. That was until they came upon a building ablaze at 44 Parker St.
The blaze in the commercial building had spread to nearby structures. It was 12 degrees and windy making it feel like it was in the single digits when these firefighters went to work.
They realized they had a lack of water, probably due to the old mill cities aging water main system.
As this ravaging wind-swept fire grew they requested more and more fire apparatus until a full seven alarms were struck. There was a major battle brewing and the firefighters knew they had their hands full and odds stacked against them.
They made many valiant stands to save large flat top triple deckers from becoming ashes. They prevented the next few city blocks from becoming involved, preventing a major conflagration.
Fourteen buildings were destroyed or damaged, and 200 residents were forced to flee.
Firefighters from 14 communities assisted. The estimated damage could well exceed $4 million.
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