As told by Retired Deputy Chief Paul Anderson

(recently named Acting Chief of the Town of Avon, MA)

 

The Porter Block on the corner of North Main and Short Streets, was a three story mercantile, with the telephone company switch board on the second floor, and various offices on the second and third floors.  At approximately 6:00pm on a Sunday evening in 1959 Deputy Anderson's sister Jackie was working in the ticket booth at the theater across the street and noticed smoke coming from the roof area of the Porter Building.  She notified the police officer walking the beat (Officer Dick Cannaughton) who then called in the alarm.

 

Although there was no formal inspection program in those days for the Fire Department, there were cracks that had been noted in the walls of the building on the Short St. side.  Previous Fire Chief Harold Bailey, had issued orders that in the event of a fire, firefighters would not be allowed to enter the building and the attack would be strictly defensive.  The current Chief, Carl Harris, perscribed to these tactics.

 

When the alarm was struck, Engine 1 (a 1939 Seagrave) was being driven by FF John McGerigle.  He laid two lines from the hydrant on the corner of Memorial Parkway and North Main St.  Ladder 1 (a 1953 Seagrave) was driven by FF Bill Mclear, he took the front of the building and began setting up the ladder pipe for operations.  Engine 2 ( a 500 gpm front end pump on a Ford chassis )was staffed with two, Paul Anderson (the author) and John Mahoney.  They first saw smoke when they reached the West Corners (now Friendly's Restaraunt), and they laid a line from a hydrant just beyond Diauto Dr.  First water was applied through the ladder pipe and the deck gun on the Main Street side.  The fire quickly went to a second alarm and then a general alarm.

 

The fire started in the rubbish in the first floor stairway and extended up and into the cockloft.  On the arrival of the Fire Department the fire was travelling in the cockloft.  The fire did break through the roof at one point and provided some spectacular viewing for the crowd that had gathered. 

 

Although the third floor had to be removed, the amount and placement of the water streams, together with the dedicated and committed work of the firefighters, reduced the damage so much that the first two floors were salvaged and still stand today.