A three-alarm fire heavily damaged a Woodward Street home New Year's Day, injuring seven firefighters. No residents were hurt.
Fire companies from Newton and Waltham responded to a single-family home at 448 Woodward St. in Waban at about 9:20 a.m. Thursday. According to police reports, the homeowner woke up to smoke detectors going off and discovered heavy smoke throughout the house. He went to the basement and saw flames and smoke, and the fire appeared to have spread up through the walls on the first and second floors and into the attic. According to police reports, 20 people were in the house at the time of the fire, but all made it out of the house and were sheltered by neighbors.
Firefighters were hampered by single digit temperatures, blowing snow, and icy conditions. Seven firefighters were treated for injuries ranging from back problems to smoke inhalation, according to union president Tom Lopez, and five did not return to work Friday.
The house's windows were boarded with plywood Friday morning as residents removed possessions from inside and loaded up a minivan. Police reports said the house "appears to be a total loss."
