NORTH ANDOVER — A fire broke out at 11 Summit Street on Friday afternoon, resulting in the hospitalization of two firefighters.
The North Andover Fire Department received a call at 12:35 p.m. that one side of a two-family home was ablaze, but firefighters were able to contain the fire before it spread and all residents were uninjured.
“It did damage to the second home, the adjoining home, the vinyl siding all got melted, but they were able to contain the fire spread so it did not do any other damage to the home,” said John Weir, chief of the North Andover Fire Department.
Due to the high temperatures inside and outside the building because of the heat wave, two North Andover firefighters were taken to the hospital and later released in good condition.
“We had no residents injured, but two firefighters were taken to the hospital largely because of the heat. It was a 95-degree day, plus all the gear on, plus fire conditions,” Weir said.
While the building is not unsalvageable, Weir said serious damage had been done to the structure.
“It should be repairable, significant damage to the inside from water and smoke,” Weir said.
The North Andover Fire Department was assisted by other local departments including Andover, Haverhill, Lawrence, and Methuen at the scene.
Weir also expressed relief about the safety of all involved parties and expressed sympathy to the families for their lost personal items.
“We’re just glad everybody was okay. Residents were all OK in this situation, our members were fine. We feel sorry for the loss of the family for their belongings, but fortunately they are all safe,” Weir said.