Around 5:30 on Easter Sunday (2023), Cambridge FAO Struck box 285 for the Faith Lutheran Church at Broadway and Prospect St. Immediately after pulling out of quarters, First due Engine 5 reported smoke showing from the area. DC Ikels (Division 1) ordered a 2nd Alarm on arrival, reporting heavy smoke from the steeple-area. Immediately after entering the church companies were met with heavy fire conditions on the inside in the front, and Division 1 requested engine companies stretch big lines to combat the blaze. While companies made good progress with an aggressive attack, fire spread up the walls of the steeple, and it was determined the steeple was at risk of collapse. The OIC DC Ikels struck a 3rd alarm and shortly after ordered all members into an exterior operation. Tower Ladder 2, Somerville Tower 1, Ladder 1 and Ladder 4 began master stream operations, and several deckguns/blitzfires were set up. The 4th, 5th and eventually 6th alarms were ordered to bring more water in to protect exposures and feed master-streams. Companies operated through the night, maintaining a collapse zone. The Fire is being investigated as Arson.
Footage starts around 10 minutes after the initial alarm, and finishes around the time all remaining fire in the steeple was knocked down.
*Note - Apologies for the spec of dust visible throughout the entire video, it was in my camera lens and I did not notice until after the fire. This also attributes to how late the video is being posted... I tried to edit it out but eventually gave up and decided to post the raw footage.
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