IPSWICH — Chief Paul Parisi reports that the Ipswich Fire Department on Monday responded to a two-alarm fire at a machine shop.
The Emergency Communications staff received a call at 3:16 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, about a fire at 24 Hayward St. Police and fire crews were immediately dispatched to the scene. When in route, personnel from Action Ambulance, also located on Hayward Street, reported smoke showing from the building and that employees had been evacuated.
Engine 2 and Cars 1 and 2 were the first on the scene and reported smoke showing from a one-floor wood frame/steel skin industrial building. Crews initiated an offensive, interior attack. Fire reached inside the walls and extended to the roofline. Firefighters also removed the interior walls and the exterior steel skin, a labor-intensive process, to fully attack the fire.
Off-duty and on-call firefighters were called into action and assisted with putting out the blaze.
The fire was under control by around 5 p.m. There were no injuries.
“This could have been a much different situation if fewer members were on duty today,” Chief Parisi said. “Six members of the department responded rapidly and immediately got to work battling the fire. Our mutual aid partners arrived on the scene quickly, and they played a big role in containing the fire to the building.”
On-scene mutual aid was provided by crews from Essex, Rowley, Topsfield and Rehab 5. Hamilton, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Wenham firefighters provided station coverage.
The fire started in a machine inside the building and was not suspicious in nature.
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