Ten displaced following Providence fire

January 31, 2018 11:13 pm

By: News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Crews arrived to a three-story home on Heath Street around 7:00 p.m., Wednesday night to find smoke pouring out the windows.

"Our initial companies arrived on the scene. They found heavy smoke coming from the second and third floor," said Battalion Chief Cirelli with the Providence Fire Department.

Once firefighters were inside, they realized the fire had broken out in the basement and had to break down doors to get to it.

Isiah Northup lives on the second floor. He was out when the fire started, and got back to see his home in flames.

"I was trying to come home so I could go to sleep in my bed with my kids, and this is just terrible," said Northup.

Crews were able to get the fire out relatively quickly, but a malfunctioning hydrant didn’t help matters.

"The fire hydrant-I don’t know if it was frozen at first-but they couldn’t open it at first, then they finally got it open. So we had a little delay on the water. That’s why we called a second alarm," noted Battalion Chief Cirelli.

Damage is extensive, but the chief stopped short of calling it a total loss.

"I don’t have nothing. Look at me. Everything I have is inside that house," said Northup.

But for Northup and his three kids it’s a difficult road ahead.

"I mean, it’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna be tough, I know that. But I don’t know what to say after that. It’s going to be tough because I don’t really have nowhere to go," said Northup.

The Red Cross is helping the 10 people who live here find a place to stay tonight.

The chief would not say whether the fire appeared suspicious, only that it remains under investigation.