There were no injuries reported as Haverhill firefighters Saturday morning were able to contain a Ward Hill house fire to the basement.
Firefighters were dispatched to a single-family, wood-framed home at 36 Cross Road just before 10 a.m. Engine 4, en route from the Bradford Fire Station, saw smoke from a distance and quickly declared it a “working fire.” Fire Chief Robert M. O’Brien credited firefighters for containing the blaze.
“I emphasize, it was a very good stop Given the age of the house and type of construction, that fire could very easily got away from them very quickly,” he said.
While fire damage was limited to the basement, heavy smoke rose through the house to the third-floor attic.
O’Brien confirmed the incident amounted to a test under fire conditions for the department’s three newest trucks—Engines 1 and 3 and Rescue 1.
According to city records, the three-bedroom house was built in 1900 and owned by Mary F. and Sharon L. Murch.