Storm-caused electrical problem causes three-alarm fire in Marshfield

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

Storm damage caused an electric meter to fail and ignite a fire, burning much of a Marshfield home in a three-alarm fire Wednesday afternoon, according to Marshfield Fire Chief Kevin Robinson.

A neighbor checking the property at 10 Ames Ave. discovered a fire in the rear of the home and notified the fire department just before 3 p.m. Tuesday. Fire was showing from the 2 1/2-story home, built in 1890, when fire crews first arrived, Robinson said in a statement. The home’s balloon framing allowed the fire to extend from the electric meter to the attic rapidly.

Once a second alarm was struck at 3:10 p.m. for help ventilating the roof, crews worked inside the house until driven out by heavy fire and concern the roof would collapse, Robinson said. A third alarm was struck just after 3:45 p.m., sending a crew to the station to handle other calls.

The fire, knocked down just after 4 p.m., caused such structural damage that the home is no longer inhabitable, he said.

The home’s owners were not displaced by the fire because it is not their primary residence, Robinson said. The home was equipped with smoke detectors.

Since the winter storm began Friday, Marshfield Fire has responded to more than 300 incidents, including five building fires, Robinson said.