A job well done by the Needham Fire Department and others for quickly responding to and extinguishing an electrical fire at Harvey’s Hardware, a Needham Center mainstay for nearly 70 years.
On Friday, February 4th, Needham Fire arrived at Harvey’s within a minute of being dispatched. Workers had noticed water and sparks coming from the electrical service. When they arrived, firefighters saw smoke and found an electrical panel on fire. While firefighters used dry chemical extinguishers to keep the fire at bay, until power is cut from an electrical panel, it will continue to burn. Smoke increased as the fire continued, though fire personnel were successful in keeping nearby materials and merchandise from igniting.
Unlike some retail establishments, hardware stores have a large amount of combustibles and other products on their shelves. According to Fire Chief Dennis Condon, if store employees had not witnessed the fire and called the Fire Department, the potential for a major downtown fire would have been significant.
Once power was shut off to the area, firefighters quickly smothered the flames with additional dry chemicals and fans were brought in to mitigate the smoke.
“Without the quick notification by the employees of Harvey’s Hardware and the swift response of Needham Fire personnel, the outcome might have been devastating to the community,” Condon said.
In total, 21 Needham firefighters responded to the scene.
The Town was also aided by the Westwood Fire Department, whose firefighters served as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). RITs are used at all building fires in case firefighters get lost or trapped in smoke-filled environments. This is a precautionary tool used to better protect firefighters as situation may deteriorate.
The Town was also covered by Mutual Aid partners from Westwood, Dedham, Newton and Wellesley. The Town’s Building and Electrical Inspectors also responded to the scene. Thank you to all those who worked together to protect the community.
