Kids & Family

Teamwork Pays Off for Newton/Waltham Firefighters at Newton Fire

The fire appears to be caused by an electrical problem.

Thanks to some teamwork between Newton and Waltham firefighters, at least one person was saved during Tuesday night's 2-alarm fire at 499 Crafts St., in Newton, according to local fire officials. 

A day after the fire, Newton Fire Lt. Eric Fricke said a group of Newton, Waltham and Brookline firefighters worked together to rescue a man who was trapped in the building. Fricke said a Waltham company of firefighters, with one Newton firefighter attached to it, along with a Brookline fire group with a Newton firefighter attached to it, rescued the man using a ladder. 

"He tried to talk him out of the window under his own power," Fricke said of the Waltham firefighter who was the first to reach the trapped man. For whatever reason, the man declined to leave. Firefighters took him out over a ladder, Fricke said. 

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Waltham Fire Lt. Scott Perry hailed the cooperative rescue. 
"They should be very proud of themselves," Perry said Wednesday "It was a combined effort between those companies."

The rescued resident was taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for serious but non-life threatening injuries. 

The rescue came hours after Newton firefighters battled a 3-alarm blaze at 285 Nahanton St., which required crews from out of town to cover Newton. As Newton firefighters were at the Nahanton Street scene, Waltham firefighters, along with crews from other towns, raced to the Crafts Street fire. 

Another resident was taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for smoke inhalation.

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Also, one Newton firefighter suffered a shoulder injury. A Newton Police officer was treated for smoke inhalation at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. 

The fire was determined not to be suspicious and the preliminary cause is an electrical fire, according to Newton Fire Chief Bruce Proia.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with additional details.


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