Community Corner

Witness Heard Popping Sounds, Saw Smoke of Needham St. Fire

Downed high-tension lines appear to have caused the blaze.

UPDATE: 5:45 p.m. - Patch spoke with Newton Fire Lt. Eric Fricke for an update from the scene. Check out what he had to say.

UPDATE: 3:26 p.m. - 
John Ibsen said he was eating at New England Soup Factory at 244 Needham St., when he heard popping sounds outside.

"[New England Soup Factory] started to slowly lose power in their building, lights flickered then nothing but the fire alarm blaring," Ibsen told Patch via email. "We all stepped outside to see the smoke rising."

Ibsen said the thick black smoke billowing up from the roof, along with the popping sounds, indicated to him it was an electrical fire.

The Newton Fire Department has tweeted that the blaze appears to have been caused by a downed high-tension line.

UPDATE: 3:01 p.m. - 
According to images posted on the Newton Fire Department Twitter page, the car fires have been extinguished.

But not before a third alarm was struck for manpower.

UPDATE: 2:55 p.m. - 
Newton Fire reportedly requested a police escort for Nstar to arrive and shut down power. Crews were waiting for power to be shut off before addressing the car fires, according to the Newton Fire Twitter account.

Latest reports indicate the power has been shut off and the blaze atop the roof has been knocked down. The car fires remain.

ORIGINAL: The Newton Fire Department is battling a two-alarm blaze at 244 Needham St.

According to Newton Fire Department Twitter reports, the blaze was started by a downed high-tension line and a building as well as two cars are involved.

Patch will update as more information becomes available.


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