Onset cottage slated for demolition goes up in flames

Aug 1, 2011

No one was injured after a fire broke out on the second floor of a cottage located at 28 Sariah Road in Onset on Sunday.

Firefighters responded at roughly 6:20 p.m. and extinguished the blaze in approximately 20 minutes, said Onset firefighter Jeff Dias.

The cottage was vacant and slated to be demolished. The Onset Fire Department and state Fire Marshal investigated the blaze and determined that the fire was likely started accidentally by workers using a plumber's torch to remove pipes from the home, Dias said.

Sunday's fire was the second in less than a week that was caused by construction work. A four-alarm fire at an inn at 13 South Boulevard Thursday night was determined to have been started by workers soldering plumbing pipes earlier that day.

"All it takes is one little spark" to start a blaze, said Onset Fire Captain Howard Andersen. A fire can smolder for hours before it is noticed if it occurs in an area of "void space" that does not contain much oxygen. "Once [the fire] finally gets that good air, it takes off," Andersen said.

Thirty firefighters responded to the blaze. Wareham firefighters assisted Onset at the scene, while firefighters from Bourne provided station coverage.