Brockton home damaged in Monday fire

The Enterprise of Brockton
www.enterprise.com
Damages are estimated at $80,000 in a fire at a house on Winter Street.
BROCKTON -- Wendy Winkler dialed 911 when she saw flames coming out of her neighbor's Winter Street home Monday afternoon and live electrical wires dangling into the street.
"It was a very intense fire. There were flames coming out, very bright orange," said Winkler, 35, clutching her child in her arms as firefighters hosed down the single-family home.

No one was home when the fire broke out at 268 Winter St. just after 3 p.m. Monday, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported.

When live electrical wires started sparking into the street, Winkler said she tried to warn a BAT bus and other cars driving by the home as flames ripped through the 11/2-story, wood-frame building.

The fire "had knocked down all the telephone wires. The wires were flying back and forth," she said.

The fire started on the first floor, possibly in the living room, and extended out the first-floor window and up into the second floor, Fire Deputy Chief George Phillips said.

The firefighting effort was hampered by the electrical wires in the street and low water pressure from one hydrant used at the top of Winter Street, Phillips said.

Firefighters used another hydrant downhill to draw water.

"The electrical feed to the home had burned and melted," Phillips said. "It was live and it was in the middle of the street. Our firefighters had to dodge that. That hampered our approach to the fire."

The home is owned by Glenn Teague, fire officials said.

Investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the blaze Monday night.

Firefighters extinguished the flames within about 30 minutes, said Phillips, who estimated damages at about $80,000.

Firefighters were on scene more than six hours, with the last piece of apparatus clearing at 9:26 p.m.

Crews from Tower 1, Squad A, Ladder 1 and engine companies 3, 4 and 7 responded. City Wiring Inspector Chris Sheehan and representatives from the Building Department also responded.

Maria Papadopoulos can be reached at mpapadopoulos@enterprisenews.com.

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