IPSWICH — On Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, at 11:51 a.m., Ipswich firefighters responded to Linebrook Farm at 383 Linebrook Road after a 911 call reported a structure fire.
The Rowley Fire Department was also dispatched to the scene to assist.
According to a statement from Ipswich’s Fire Chief Paul Parisi, while crews were en route, they were notified by dispatch that people were trapped inside the residence.
Ipswich police arrived on scene before the fire department at 11:56 a.m. and found heavy fire showing from the front and back of the home.
The police were “unable to penetrate the smoke conditions to get inside,” Parisi said in the statement. Adding, “Three firefighters from Ipswich and three firefighters from Rowley then arrived at 11:58 a.m., and immediately went to work.”
Rowley Firefighters Lieutenant Merissa Titus-Abate and Lieutenant Matt Harney climbed a portable ladder to the second floor, where they found an elderly man with mobility issues and his son, who had rushed in from next door to try to save his father. Both were trapped with no way out except the window.
“Simultaneously, two Ipswich firefighters, Lt. Patrick Dingle and Firefighter Blake Emerson, stretched a hose line to the building and then went up the ladder to assist the Rowley crew with the rescue,”Parisi said in the statement. “All members worked together to bring both men down the portable ladder.”
(Photo courtesy of Ipswich Fire Department)
The elderly man was taken by Action Ambulance to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport for smoke inhalation and later transferred to a Boston hospital. His son was evaluated at the scene and declined further treatment.
After rescuing the men, firefighters were joined by mutual aid crews and began battling the blaze from inside the home. As conditions worsened, they shifted to an exterior attack, hampered by limited water from a dead-end main. A Topsfield Truck Company ladder pipe and multiple handlines were used to fight the fire.
Two other adults were evaluated at the scene, with one taken to a local hospital for a dog bite. A dog died in the fire, and two cats remain unaccounted for.
While a horse barn on the property was spared from the smoke and fire, the home was completely destroyed.
Mutual aid at the scene was provided by firefighters from Rowley, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Wenham, Essex, and Topsfield, while crews from Georgetown, Gloucester, and Hamilton covered Ipswich stations. Ipswich Police, the Electric Light Department, Ipswich Utilities, Action Ambulance, and Rehab 5 also assisted. The American Red Cross Disaster Team offered support to the homeowners and occupants.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Ipswich Fire Department, Ipswich Police, and the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit of the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
“Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire showing from both the front and rear of the building with people trapped, and they effected the rescue of two people over a portable ladder. That is a low frequency, high risk event, with a successful outcome.” said Chief Paul Parisi. “I want to express my gratitude for the teamwork between our Ipswich and Rowley firefighters today. They train for situations such as this, and undoubtedly saved lives with their ability to work hand in hand. I also want to commend the son who risked his life to save his father. He is a true hero.”