Warren Firefighters Knock Out House Fire on Metacom Avenue

A Warren resident was rushed to the hospital for burns after his second floor apartment went up in flames on Tuesday morning.

Warren fire officials arrived to 567 Metacom Avenue in Warren within three minutes from the time they were dispatched on Tuesday morning for reports of a structure fire. Fire Chief Alexander Galinelli said when he arrived, the fire was already ventilating through the skylight and roof of the two tenement home and the second floor resident was walking around outside.

"When we got there the fire was cranking," Galinelli said. "The man who lives upstairs was waiting outside and he was treated for first and second degree burns to his face and inhalation burns and was transported to the hospital."

According to Galinelli, the man living upstairs said that he had gotten out of the shower and saw a fire near the stove in the kitchen. In an attempt to put the fire out, he was badly burned by the flames.

With the help of and Ladder truck, around 40 firefighters spent more than an hour and a half battling the blaze, attacking it with water from the inside and out.

Galinelli said that at one point, he noticed the roof beginning to cave in so he had to pull his guys out. With the firefighters out of harms way, other firefighters drenched the house with the hoses.

Joe Bragantin, owner of the home, looked on as firefighters cut through the relatively new vinyl siding and sprayed the second floor down with a hose through the window.

"Regardless of where the fire started, the whole house is going to need to get stripped," Bragantin said.

Knowing that everyone had been evacuated from the building safely, including two cats (one of which was rescued by firefighters) Bragantin joked, "maybe I can list the house as having a built in swimming pool seeing as the basement is full of water."

Galinelli said that it is likely that Bragantin will have to get the entire roof replaced and make repairs to the significant fire, smoke and water damage on both floors of the home.

"The guys did a really great job today," Galinelli said of the dozens of volunteers who showed up to help out.

According to Galinelli, officials aided in the treatment of the burn victim and Barrington Fire Department provided mutual aid at the .