Oak Bluffs firefighters responded to a structure fire at a 2½-story wood frame home on John’s Way, across from the P.A. Club on the afternoon of Feb. 5.
Fire Chief Stephen Foster said that upon arrival, the first responders found the home with heavy flames extending from the chimney into the second floor and attic. Firefighters were on the scene at 2:22 pm, but were not finished extinguishing the fires until just after 5.
Foster confirmed nobody was injured in the blaze, but there was heavy damage, and the homeowners aren’t able to return at this point.
Homeowner and 82-year-old Vietnam War veteran Tommy Morrison said that while he was inside the home at the time of the fire, he was able to escape safely with his wife and dog.
“My wife saw it when she went outside, and said, ‘The house is on fire!'” Morrison said.
Morrison, while watching firefighters protect his house, was despondent.
“It’s hard; we’ve gotten an awful lot of stuff since we moved here in 2000. My wife rebuilt that entire addition [the attic], so I am worried about her,” said Morrison.
The fire was determined to be unintentional, and the cause was undetermined.
On the scene, Foster said, firefighters first made an exterior attack to knock down a main, heavier fire, laddering their way up to the roof, where flames had traveled up the chimney and spread into the surrounding attic. Engulfed in smoke and mist on the roof, firefighters were using chainsaws and hatchets to gain access to the flames.
After knocking down the main fire, crews advanced another hose line into the house, where crews located and put out hidden pockets of fire using thermal imaging cameras.
Mutual aid came from Edgartown, Tisbury, and West Tisbury.
“We want to thank our mutual aid partners, as well as Oak Bluffs Police, and the Oak Bluffs building officials,” said Foster. “Our crews did an excellent job with exterior fire attack and transition to interior fire attack, as well as ventilating and finishing off hotspots — making sure there are no safety hazards, and most importantly … reducing as much damage as possible and helping the homeowners.”
Roads were closed from where Vineyard Avenue connects to County Road to just after the P.A. Club, denying access to the bar for roughly an hour.
So sorry to hear about the Morrison home.
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