The fire at 22 Jackson Lane started just after 11, the Wakefield Fire Department said, though officials did not release the cause of it. Heavy smoke billowed out of the two-story home, and flames had eaten away at the back of it when crews arrived on the scene.
It took firefighters about an hour to vent the attic and get the fire under control and extinguished, officials said.
The home is uninhabitable because of extensive damage to the first floor and attic, but thankfully, the family was not home when the fire began.
Crews took One firefighter to the hospital with heat exhaustion, but officials say he is expected to recover. They did not say which department he worked for.
Crews from Reading, Melrose, Stoneham, Lynnfield, Saugus, North Reading, and Woburn fire departments helped fight the fire, and Manden and Saugus covered the Wakefield stations while they were out, officials said.
"This was a labor-intensive fire in hot and extremely humid conditions, which took a toll on firefighters who worked aggressively to pull ceilings and get to the seat of this fire," said Deputy Chief Tom Purcell. "I would like to thank all of our mutual aid partners for their support. Crews did a great job battling this blaze in challenging conditions."
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