Wood Stove Embers May Have Sparked Naugus Blaze

Firefighters knocked down a two-alarm fire that swept up the side of a 2.5-story home and into the eaves at 80 Naugus Ave. early Monday morning.

The residents, a husband and wife, escaped the blaze uninjured and no firefighters were injured, said Marblehead fire Capt. Michael Porter.

The fire captain said it looked like wood-stove embers flew from the stove pipe running up the exterior of the home and ignited leaves on the ground. 

Fire then spread to the home's exterior and climbed the side of the wood-frame home in the back corner, the fire captain said.

The home, listed as belonging to the Fleming family, is located on a hill across from the water near Green Street. 

Firefighters dragged their hoses up the hill to battle the blaze. The ground was soon covered with ice after excess water flowed from the house.

Firefighters started their attack inside the home, before pounding the blaze from the outside, the fire captain said.

Marblehead police arrived on the scene first, shortly after the fire was reported at 1:44 a.m.

The husband was alerted to the fire not by a smoke detector but by how bright everything was, the fire captain said. He also heard the fire crackling.

Marblehead fire Lt. Joe Thibodeau was the first fire officer on the scene and the incident commander was Capt. Elizabeth Wilson.

Upon their arrival, the blaze was well underway with flames shooting up the side of the house and flaring into the night sky.

The home sustained water, smoke and fire damage and looks like it will be a while before the owners can return, the fire captain said.

The couple stayed with a neighbor overnight, Capt, Porter said.

Lynn and Salem firefighters helped fight the fire. Nahant and Beverly firefighters covered Marblehead's fire stations.

Swampscott firefighters were on their way to help when they were called to a house fire in Swampscott. 

The Marblehead Light Department was on the scene as were town workers who salted and sanded the icy ground.

"Everything was instant ice," Capt. Porter said.

The fire captain reminds people who have a separate stove pipe extending from their wood or pellet stoves that it is important to have a spark arrester on them.