Billy Gould Photos
Firefighters Mike Lopes and Dan Scotto remove a lizard from 70 Read St. Tuesday morning.
Firefighters extinguished a first-floor kitchen fire and then helped the scaly pets of one of the displaced families get out of their damaged home.
Deputy Fire Chief Billy Gould said a call came in about for a one-alarm fire at 70 Read St. at around 9:25 a.m. Tuesday.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find fire coming from the kitchen of the first-floor apartment. They had to open up some of the walls to put the fire out. There was some minor damage to the three-story building but Gould said it was put out quickly and no one was injured.
Three families living there were displaced; the Red Cross was there to help them relocate. The family on the third floor needed some assistance getting their pets — two lizards and a turtle — out of the upstairs apartment.
Gould said firefighters did not have to use any of the animal respirators that are now part of their equipment kits because the animals were far enough away to not inhale any smoke. He said it’s not often that firefighters encounter reptiles on the job; dogs and cats are more common.
He said the three-family house sustained some damage that will keep its occupants out for a few weeks. The fire appears to have started in the kitchen but the cause of the fire is under investigations. About 25 firefighters responded to the call.
