HAVERHILL — Two families were displaced, and a pet cat was killed in a fire that broke out around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, July 5, 2024, at a three-family home at 97-99 Blaisdell Street.
When fire crews arrived on scene about three minutes after the fire was reported, they were met with “heavy flames” coming from the third floor of the right side of the building’s façade.
Haverhill’s Deputy Fire Chief Raymond Robinson told WHAV that a second alarm was called when crews were informed that someone might still be on the second floor. However, firefighters discovered that the family that lived on the second-floor was not home at the time of the fire. The first-floor unit was unoccupied as it was undergoing renovations.
All of those who occupied the building at the time of the blaze made it out safely outside of a pet cat who passed away.
The building wasn’t a total loss, a portion of the third-floor apartment was damaged by fire and smoke. The first and second floors sustained water damage.
The preliminary investigation suggests that the fire may have been caused by the improper use of electrical equipment. The Haverhill Fire Department and the state Fire Marshal’s office are still investigating the exact cause.
