A Riverside home in Haverhill was completely destroyed following a two-alarm fire that broke out about 7:45 this morning.
An issue with fire hydrants, that Fire Chief Robert M. O’Brien said was already under review by the city’s water division, forced firefighters to take water from the nearby Merrimack River. O’Brien said there was “a little bit of delay” in getting a high enough volume of water to fight the fire at 100 Coffin Ave., but the river water supply helped crews “recover quickly.”
“It was well underway when we got here. It spread very quickly,” he said.
The chief said the department received an emergency 9-1-1 call from a resident that reported electrical arcing from an outdoor hot tub.
The house was evacuated before firefighters arrived. O’Brien said the homeowner suffered some smoke inhalation, but otherwise no injuries were reported. Two adults and two children were displaced.
An official investigation into the cause of the blaze is underway.