Lack Of Water Supply Hindered Concord Mansion Fire Response

CONCORD, MA — The four-alarm blaze that leveled a historic, multi-million dollar home in Concord on Friday had a few advantages over the crews working to put it out, namely, a lack of access to water. Dozens of fire departments responded to the call, including Concord Fire, but the blaze still took over four hours to subdue. Crews were still putting out hot spots and demolishing the home on Saturday.

The fire at the estate at 240 Fairhaven Hill Road spread throughout the entire mansion, which is over 6,500 square feet. Fire officials said the blaze started on the first floor, gaining speed as it spread through the walls and attic. Having a constant supply of water to douse the flames was a struggle for crews — the only hydrant connected to the town water line is down the hill from the estate, on Fairhaven Road.

Five tanker trucks were called to help in supplying water, and crews laid down a fire hydrant supply line from nearby Fairhaven Road. The process of filling the tankers and hauling the water to and from the home meant fire crews had to sacrifice seconds and minutes that could've been spent on the fire.

The house is located in a remote, private residential neighborhood, another challenge crews had to overcome. The neighborhood is served by a small diameter potable water service, fire officials said. The service was installed in the 1920s, nearly 20 years after the home was originally built. The service is fed by a common private water supply.

“This was a massive fire, and getting it under control has been even more difficult due to the water pressure issues in the immediate area,” Concord Fire Chief Thomas Judge said, “I commend the work of our firefighters in dealing with this massive fire yesterday and through the night, and thank the numerous departments that provided local aid."

Within the last decade, a cistern was installed in the neighborhood to store larger amounts of water. The tank held about 30,000 gallons of water but fire officials said it didn't take long before they worked the tank dry and the flames were still burning.

According to WCVB between the tankers and the cistern, firefighters had used approximately 10,000 gallons of water by 11:50 a.m. The blaze and hot spots weren't completely extinguished until well into the evening.

The sprawling estate sits on over 12 acres of land and was built in 1899 for Charles Francis Adams III, great-grandson of President John Quincy Adams. The mansion holds historic significance, not only through it's connection to the Adams' family but as one of the first large country estates not associated with farming in the town. The Adams' family called the home "Mount Vernon."

Appraised at nearly $3 million, the home is now a total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.