WORCESTER – As the blizzard raged on, Worcester firefighters battled a blaze overnight that destroyed a home on Alvarado Avenue and sent some people to the hospital with minor smoke inhalation issues.
Firefighters rescued one pregnant woman from the home. Fire officials officials did not have an update on her condition Tuesday morning.
Just after 2 a.m., Worcester firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at 20 Alvarado Avenue.
City Manager Edward Augustus said a large family was living in the home. Seven people, including children, were rescued, he said.
“Firefighters did a great job,” Augustus said. “Luckily everyone was safe.”
According to the Worcester firefighters union Twitter page, the attic of the home was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.
After a quick battle hampered by blizzard conditions, firefighters had to be evacuated from the home due to a roof collapse.
Wind gusts proved to be a problem for firefighters as they tackled the fire. As the wind whipped through the air, the fire would reignite. Officials said the cold temperatures left firefighters caked with ice.
Curt Isakson is a 35 year veteran of the fire service. Curt is currently a Battalion Chief for Escambia County Fire Rescue. Previously worked 9 years with the Pensacola Fire Department where he was assigned as the Company Officer on Rescue 31. Curt’s fire service experiences started at a young age as a Junior firefighter with the Midway Fire Protection District and rose through the ranks to Captain. He has worked in volunteer, career, and combination departments.
Curt has held all ranks up to Battalion Chief and been assigned to operations, training, inspections, and was Chief of Special Operations for 7 years. Curt owns and operates County Fire Tactics that covers a very diverse range of fire service topics, as well as Firefighter Rescues, a site that documents rescues made by firefighters around the country.
He has annual contracts with numerous departments to provide standardized monthly training for these departments that respond daily together under an automatic aid agreement. Curt teaches nationally to include; FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Orlando Fire Conference, Atlanta Fire Conference, Bowling Green State University, and owns/operates the annual HROC, COBC, WOTF, CFT ODP on Pensacola Beach. He is a Florida Certified Fire Officer, Instructor, Inspector, Arson, and FLUSAR.