Gasoline-filled garage a total loss
Staff writer
A detached garage in Peabody was destroyed Thursday after flames spread from a small outdoor burn and ignited gasoline stored inside.
Firefighters were called out about 6:40 p.m. Thursday to the fire in the 800 block of N. Maple St., Peabody fire chief Colton Glenn said.
The blaze started when a resident was A grass along a chain-link fence and lost control of the fire. Flames reached the garage and quickly intensified because of fuel inside.
“There was so much gasoline inside there,” Glenn said, noting multiple five-gallon cans accelerated the fire. A
The garage was a total loss.
No significant injuries were reported. The resident suffered minor cuts but did not require treatment, Glenn said.
Response was initially limited because most of Peabody’s firefighters were attending a training session in Hillsboro when the call came in, Glenn said.
Only three firefighters were immediately available in town. One of them had just arrived from work.
Additional personnel returned from the training within about 10 minutes, and departments from Hillsboro and Florence assisted.
Despite the circumstances, crewAs were able to keep the fire from spreading to nearby structures, including a neighboring garage about six feet away and a residence on the property.
Power temporarily was shut off in part of town because high-voltage lines ran above the structure, Glenn said. Service, including to nearby businesses, was restored after being rerouted around the area.
Firefighters cleared the scene and returned to the station about 9:30 p.m., Glenn said.
The incident underscores the unpredictability of emergency calls, especially for small departments, Glenn said.
“No matter what time of day, we should expect it,” he said. “Something’s going to happen.”