CONCORD, MASS. (WHDH) - Firefighters battled a four-alarm fire at a Concord home Tuesday afternoon, saying the hot weather was a tough challenge, according to the Concord Fire Department.
The house on Bartkus Farm Road went up in flames after 4 p.m. in the midst of a heat wave in Massachusetts. Firefighters worked on the home in 91-degree weather, high humidity, and winds of around 10 to 12 miles per hour.
“The big challenge we faced here today was the heat. We quickly went to four alarms and that was completely driven by the temperature today,” said Concord Fire Chief Thomas Judge.
Judge said the 911 call came in not long after the state’s emergency call system came back online following some issues earlier in the day.
Aerial footage of the scene showed the home engulfed in flames in a wooded area of Concord. Plumes of white smoke wafted upward as firefighters sprayed water on the blaze.
Firefighters from 12 different towns rushed to try and save the 9,700 square foot home. No one was inside the home and no one was injured, aside from a firefighter taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion, the department said.
“We need to be able to rotate crews, and rotate them quickly, and keep them hydrated,” Judge said.
At 6 p.m., the fire appeared to be growing and expanding from one side of the home to the other.
The home’s location near the Carlisle town line made it difficult to access water, according to the fire department.
Neighbor Stuart Strong called 911 when he first saw the flames Tuesday afternoon. He quickly got his girlfriend and ran toward the burning house, because he was worried his neighbor’s dog was trapped inside.
“Coming up the driveway and I just saw a huge, black cloud coming from the house,” Strong said.
“We started trying to break the back doors to try to get the dog but the windows were apparently shatterproof,” said Paige Lillibridge.
However, the family’s dog was not inside.
But, fire crews said the damage inside the home is extensive.
“We feel so bad for them. It’s so hard having to rebuild after a fire,” Strong said.
At 9 p.m., dozens of firefighters were still on scene monitoring hotspots. Most crews had left by 10 p.m.
The cause and origin of the fire remains under investigation.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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