FALMOUTH – A fast moving fire gutted a garage and caused damage to the attached house in Falmouth Wednesday morning. Fire crews responded to Club Valley Drive shortly after 7 AM Wednesday to find the garage fully involved after reports of a lithium-ion battery explosion. Everyone safely evacuated the house and no injuries were reported.
From Falmouth Fire-Rescue: On Wednesday, April 15th, at 7:21 AM, Falmouth Fire Rescue responded to a garage fire at 259 Club Valley Drive. The first arriving engine from Hatchville Station encountered heavy fire conditions inside the garage, extending to the exterior of the structure and starting to spread into the single-family cape-style residence. All occupants had evacuated the home.
Initial actions of the first responding crew quickly brought the garage fire under control. With additional arriving units, attention was then focused on suppression efforts for the dwelling. A guinea pig was rescued during a search of the second floor. At 8:00 AM, the fire was controlled. Following an extensive overhaul of the garage and the above attic area, including a wooden chimney, fire suppression efforts were complete at 8:53 AM.
The fire remains under investigation with the assistance of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, with the cause currently undetermined. Due to smoke damage, the house is uninhabitable. There were no injuries to occupants or firefighters. The last units cleared the scene at 10:05 AM.
A special thank you to our partners:
• Local Agencies: Falmouth Inspectional Services and Emergency Communications.
• Technical & Fire Support: State Fire Marshall Fire Investigation Unit; Joint Base Cape Cod, Bourne, COMM, and Sandwich Fire Departments.
• Private Partners: Eversource.
From Mass Department of Fire Services: Falmouth FD and State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office determined that this fire began in an attached garage. They further determined that it was accidental in nature and started with the apparent failure of a lithium-ion battery from an e-bike.
E-bikes and other micromobility devices are the most common type of equipment involved in lithium-ion battery fires. Because the battery packs are so large, it’s important to store them away from doors, windows, stairways — these are residents escape routes and the entry points for firefighters in an emergency.
Top photos by David Curran/Satellite News Service/CWN. lower photo by Falmouth Fire-Rescue-CWN
