Fire Damages Newton Home; Smoke Disrupts Traffic On Mass Pike
NEWTON (CBS) -- A three-alarm fire heavily damaged a three-story Victorian home Saturday on Newtonville Avenue, with the thick smoke disrupting traffic on the nearby Massachusetts Turnpike, public safety officials said.
Fire crews were dispatched to 355 Newtonville Ave. at about 4 p.m., the Newton Fire Department reported. The apparatus sent to the scene included three ladder trucks.
While firefighters battled the blaze, the Massachusetts State Police deployed several cruisers on the Mass Pike near Newton Corner, the state police reported on their Twitter account. The troopers activated their emergency lights to warn motorists about the thick smoke, which reduced visibility on the highway.
The smoke reduced speeds on the Mass Pike to 40 mph. The dangerous smoke condition cleared at about 5:30, the state police said.
No civilians or firefighters were injured in the blaze, the Fire Department reported.
Based on an initial investigation, the fire is likely linked to an electrical malfunction in the kitchen, fire officials said.