3 injured in blaze that ripped through Jackson’s Variety in Fairhaven

FAIRHAVEN, MASS. (WHDH) - Three people were injured in a raging blaze that ripped through Jackson’s Variety in Fairhaven on Monday morning, officials said.

Firefighters responding to a report of a structure fire on Manhattan Avenue shortly before 8 a.m. found flames shooting from the wood-frame building, according to Fairhaven Fire Chief Timothy Francis.

Photos from the scene showed thick smoke billowing into the air as the blaze consumed the business, which has been a part of the community for many many years.

Neighborhood resident Tony Cogswell rushed into the store to check to see if anyone was trapped before fire crews pulled three injured people from the burning building.

“I said, ‘Is anyone in the house?’ I got different answers, so I went through the front door and there were flames,” Cogswell said.

One person was taken to an area hospital with severe burns, while a second victim suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation, Francis said. A third person refused treatment.

A second-floor apartment above the variety store was left badly charred.

Cogswell says he didn’t think twice about trying to help.

“It’s our community, our neighbors,” he said. “I hope someone would do it for me.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)