Somerville Fire Department

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Somerville, MA
Somerville Fire Department

Official page for the Somerville, MA Fire Department. This account is not monitored 24/7.

05/29/2026

On Friday, May 29, at 1:36 p.m., the Somerville Fire Department responded to reports of a fire involving a rooftop patio and outdoor kitchen area at a condominium building at 375 Canal Street.

Upon arrival and assessment of the scene, a Second Alarm was sounded due to the complexity of accessing the fire, which brought mutual aid from the Everett Fire Department. Firefighters used two aerial ladders to access the roof area, and connected hoses to the building’s existing standpipe system to extinguish the fire.

The fire destroyed the rooftop outdoor kitchen at 375 Canal Street and spread to an adjacent roof penthouse at the Row Hotel at 360 Foley Street. There was minor water damage to the fifth floor of the Row Hotel. No injuries were reported. All occupants of both buildings were allowed to re-enter. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

05/19/2026

A Heat Advisory is currently in place for Somerville for Tuesday, May 19 - Wednesday, May 20. Feels-like temperatures up to 96 degrees are possible. Please review ways to safe and cool, especially as this is the area’s first period of multi-day hot temperatures this year.

▪ Never leave children or pets alone in the car, even for a quick errand.
▪ Drink plenty of water.
▪ Practice sun safety by wearing sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses when outside.
▪ Find shade whenever possible throughout the day.
▪ Limit exercise to the early morning or the evening. Avoid strenuous activity during midday when temperatures are usually highest.
▪ If you are experiencing symptoms of heat illness, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, cramps, high body temperature, or a fast pulse, get medical help right away and move to a cooler place.
▪ Be a good neighbor. Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially older adults, people who live alone, and people with medical conditions.

To help stay cool, you can seek relief from the heat in air-conditioned City buildings. Visit somervillema.gov/keepcool or call 311 (617-666-3311) for more.

Splash pads at City parks are typically ready for use following Memorial Day. The Department of Public Works team is working diligently to get at least a few of them ready before Memorial Day, and all of them as soon as possible after Memorial Day. The drinking fountains in City parks are on and available for use. Dilboy Pool and Latta Brothers Pool typically open in June. Opening dates and hours will be shared on somervillema.gov/keepcool and somervillema.gov/pools when they are available.

05/15/2026

Three promotions for the Fire Department took place at the May 14 City Council meeting. Capt. Dennis Sullivan was promoted to District Chief, Lt. Michael Marino to Captain, and Firefighter Sean Marquis to Lieutenant.

Pictured from left to right: Assistant Chief Sean Tierney, Capt. Michael Marino, Lt. Sean Marquis, District Chief Dennis Sullivan, and Chief Charles Breen.

05/09/2026

The Somerville Fire Department had extra firefighters on duty in Gator Utility Vehicles and on bicycles for PorchFest on Saturday. They helped to monitor the crowds and were prepared to provide emergency services if needed. The Fire Department was also represented in the City's Unified Command Center.

05/01/2026

The Somerville Fire Department responded to a car fire at Broadway and Liberty Avenue on the afternoon of Thursday, April 30. The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Broadway when the driver smelled and then noticed smoke coming from the car and pulled over. The vehicle was heavily involved in fire upon SFD's arrival. There were no injuries.

04/23/2026

The Somerville Fire Department responded to a building fire at 480 Columbia Street at 5:44 a.m. Thursday. The building at 480 Columbia is a vacant, one- and two-story warehouse formerly occupied by Nissenbaum's Auto Parts.

Upon arrival, firefighters located a fire in the basement of the one-story section of the building. The stairs to the basement, accessed via a trap door, had burned away and there was difficulty reaching the fire with a standard hose line through the opening from above. District Chief Matt Wall called for a recently purchased special nozzle to be brought in to assist in controlling the fire. The nozzle, shown in the third photo below, was lowered into the opening to deliver water coverage and help extinguish the fire. Firefighters then brought in a small ladder to use as stairs to access the basement and complete extinguishment.

Somerville firefighters, with assistance from the Cambridge Fire Department, operated through heavy smoke conditions to bring the fire under control. Four firefighters were injured but remained on duty. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

04/22/2026

All Somerville fire apparatus recently underwent undercarriage pressure washing to remove salt, mud, and debris. This is done to enhance safety, extend vehicle life, and protect sensitive components.

In the photos, Firefighter Dave Pantanella is using an undercarriage pressure washer on Engine 2, Engine 6, and the Rescue inside the Department of Public Works garage. Special thanks to our partners at DPW for sharing their facility with us to allow us to undertake this important task.

04/13/2026

The Somerville Fire Department recently completed training on and placed into service a Tactical Thermal Reducing Cylinder (TTRC). The device was primarily purchased to assist with the challenges of extinguishing an electric vehicle fire, but can also be used for basement fires and to protect exposed structures from an adjacent fire, among other uses.

This new nozzle provides additional safety for firefighters at an electric vehicle fire by increasing distance between the burning vehicle and firefighters. It also delivers powerful water coverage to provide rapid cooling of an electric vehicle battery. The new equipment will be carried on the Rescue Company.

04/10/2026

On Wednesday, April 8, Assistant Chief Sean Tierney, Lt. Paul French, Master Mechanic Paul Dickie, and Chief Charles Breen conducted a final inspection of the Somerville Fire Department's new Engine 5. The inspection took place in Breda, Iowa at the plant of Toyne Fire Apparatus.

The new pumper is now en route to the dealer in Rhode Island where it will undergo some final outfitting before being delivered to Somerville.

04/03/2026

The Somerville Fire Department offers its condolences to the family and friends of retired Firefighter Thomas J. Foster who passed away on March 31. Firefighter Foster was appointed on December 10, 1959 and retired on January 20, 1991.

Address

266 Broadway
Somerville, MA
02145

Website

http://somervillema.gov/fire

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