Thursday, December 6, 2012
No one was home when the fire started, and Wilmington firefighters are still looking into the cause of the flames.
A Thursday afternoon fire that took several hours for firefighters to control destroyed a North Street home. Though there was heavy damage to the property, no one was home when the flames began and the family’s two cats escaped harm. Deputy Chief Rick McClellan said it is unclear at this time what caused the fire, which started just after 11 a.m. One firefighter was transported from the scene early on, but Fire Chief Ed Bradbury received confirmation about one hour later that he suffered only an ankle sprain. A neighbor called in the fire, and firefighters were quickly on scene. But by the time they arrived, flames had completely engulfed the structure. McClellan said crews had a hard time getting into the house initially, and were unsure …
42.567014
-71.155155
20 North St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/north-street-home-destroyed-by-thursday-fire
/locations/8321444
Sunday, November 18, 2012
In total, the incident took about one hour to contain and the family was allowed back in the home.
Firefighters were called to Woburn Street on Friday night after receiving a 911 call for a chimney fire at a neighborhood home. Deput Chief Rick McClellan said the residents immediately called for help and when crews arrived there was fire showing from the chimney. Lt. Chris Pozzi led crews at the scene as firefighters were able to minimize the damage done by the flames, McClellan said. Once the fire was doused, crews removed burning logs from the fireplace and dropped weighted chains into the chimney to clear any blockages. Then firefighters dropped a dry chemical powder down the chimney in order to smother any embers left behind. Firefighters also used a thermal imaging camera to check the area where the fire began, and about one hour …
Saturday, November 3, 2012
We look back at the top police and fire headlines on Wilmington Patch for October.
From a tree house fire to a bank robbery and a hurricane, it was a busy month for the Wilmington Police Department and Wilmington Fire Department. With October coming to a close earlier this week, we give you a look at the top police and fire stories from Wilmington Patch in the last month. October 4 Tempers flared on the picket line when police said an independent truck driver approached striking employees at xpedx and when officers stopped him he suddenly accelerated. Gerald Smith, 78, was charged with a variety of motor vehicle offenses, including assault with a dangerous weapon, after an officer was briefly by the vehicle. October 6 A Factory Road tree house went up in flames after a group of youths were playing with matches inside. …
Monday, October 15, 2012
The weekend flames were quickly doused and no damage was done inside the apartment.
An improperly discarded cigarette started a weekend fire on Avalon Drive, but firefighters doused the flames before they spread inside the property. According to Deputy Fire Chief Rick McClellan, firefighters received a call around 6:45 p.m. on Friday that flames were rising on a deck the apartment complex. McClellan said firefighters had the fire completely under control by 7:15 p.m. There was no structural or electrical damage done, though the flames did reach the apartment’s attic. “Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as it looks,” said McClellan. “It was careless disposal of smoking materials. The cigarette was put out in a plastic bucket, but it wasn’t all the way out and that’s what started the fire.” In 2010, 1,862 fires were caused by …
42.5508
-71.172999
Fire Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/discarded-cigarette-starts-avalon-drive-fire
763346
/locations/8012702
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Youths playing with matches caused the fire, which was quickly put out by firefighters after some tense moments.
Firefighters have preached for years not to play with matches. On Friday, Wilmington youths found out first hand that firefighters aren’t just blowing smoke when they use the expression. A Factory Road tree house went up in flames early Friday evening after a group of youths were playing with matches, according to Wilmington Deputy Fire Chief Rick McClellan. “It’s an issue that’s been around for a lot of years, kids bored and playing with matches not realizing how dangerous they can be,” said McClellan. “Kids underestimate the power of their actions, and having a fire inside a tree fort is what this came down to.” Initial reports indicated that firefighters were concerned because of tree branches above the structure and a 55-gallon barrel …
42.5508
-71.172999
Fire Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/wilmington-firefighters-douse-tree-house-flames
763346
/locations/7969926
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Members of the Landers family are seeking answers 43 years after one of the most tragic events in Wilmington history.
Editor's Note: For Janis Jaquith's complete take on the fire and her investigation, read her Letter to the Editor from Wednesday morning. OUTSIDE BOSTON, MA -- It sounds like something that could be turned into a Hollywood movie script, but for members of the Landers family, it couldn’t be more real. Still, almost half a century later the family hopes for the best ending possible. Forty-three years after a devastating fire that killed six members of the Wilmington family, the Landers are seeking answers as they hope to prove the deadly blaze was intentionally set. On September 26, 1969, the family’s Clark Street home caught fire, killing 37-year-old mother Nancy Landers along with five of her children. Davey, 13, Billy, 12, Kevin, 9, Lisa…
42.5508
-71.172999
Fire Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/landers-family-seeks-answers-years-after-deadly-fire
763346
/locations/7879828
42.5508
-71.172999
Wilmington Police Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/landers-family-seeks-answers-years-after-deadly-fire
763591
/locations/7879829
Monday, May 14, 2012
Wilmington Fire Department fielded three calls at once during Saturday shift.
Wilmington firefighters battled smoke and flames coming from inside a local business on Saturday, but that wasn't their only concern. In the middle of their efforts to put out flames at Stafford Manufacturing on Andover Street, firefighters also received three other calls for incidents happening in town. The initial Andover Street incident was called in as smoke was showing from an HVAC unit on the roof of Stafford Manufacturing. Deputy Fire Chief John Brown said the flames were eventually spotted and were confined to an oven inside the building. However, because the smoke was so heavy, firefighters had a difficult time locating where exactly the fire was at first. Three Wilmington units responded to battle the fire in addition to an …
42.596663
-71.146094
Stafford Manufacturing Co.
256 Andover St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/busy-saturday-for-wilmington-firefighters
763295
/locations/7002822
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Lt. Gary Donovan returned to scene on Wednesday to control hot spots.
Update: Wilmington Fire Lieutenant Gary Donovan said the flames spread to about half of an acre behind 45 Butters Row at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday night. The fire was controlled by just before 1 a.m., and no structures were impacted during the incident. Donovan was among the firefighters who returned to the scene around noon on Wednesday to control hot spots that had developed. "Conditions have been very dry," said Donovan. "We have no permits because of it. We're not sure how the fire got started. But hopefully we’ll get some rain and we won’t have to deal with brush fires for a while." Original Story: According to scanner reports, Wilmington firefighters are in the area of Butters Row for brush fire late Tuesday night. Calls came in after…
42.53952
-71.16403
Butters Row & Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/brush-fire-reported-on-butters-row-in-wilmington
/locations/6827844
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Wednesday morning fire was controlled quickly, but two family apartment building was destroyed.
Two Main Street residents escaped an early morning fire, but their home and personal belongings did not survive the flames. Deputy Fire Chief John Brown said firefighters were called to 833 Main Street at about 1:25 a.m. on Wednesday morning to a home that features two apartments. By the time firefighters arrived, two family members from one side of the building had escaped. The residents from the other unit were not home at the time of the fire. Though the flames were controlled in about 20 minutes, Brown said crews were working at the home until 6:30 a.m. to knock down walls and overhaul for potential hidden pockets of heat that could cause another fire. While no human lives were lost, Brown said four cats died in the fire. Trucks from …
42.529567
-71.159115
833 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/home-cats-lost-in-main-street-fire
/locations/6776717
42.5508
-71.172999
Fire Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/home-cats-lost-in-main-street-fire
763346
/locations/6776718
Saturday, January 28, 2012
The following information was provided by the Wilmington Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Friday, Jan. 20 2:27 a.m. – Beeching Ave. caller reports her daughter’s boyfriend’s rear window was smashed out by her daughter’s ex-boyfriend sometime tonight. Matthew Maravelis, 21, is arrested for malicious destruction of property, more than $250. 12:07 p.m. – Phillips Ave. caller reports a dog fell through the ice. Fire Department reports they have the dog. Animal Control Officer is bringing the dog to the owner’s residence in Tewksbury. 3:25 p.m. – Requesting two cruisers to Wilmington Plaza. Detective Stickney confiscated a glass pipe for smoking marijuana as well as some fresh marijuana for destruction. Consent search done of the vehicle. Small amount of Class D recovered along with a glass pipe. Items brought back to the station …
42.5508
-71.172999
Wilmington Police Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/police-log-marijuana-issues-and-a-vehicle-vandalism
763591
/locations/6268799
42.5508
-71.172999
Fire Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/police-log-marijuana-issues-and-a-vehicle-vandalism
763346
/locations/6268800
Erika J.
3:22 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012
My thoughts are with the family in this hard time. more ›