HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS – [UPDATED DETAILS – 9/9/2024] – As previously reported (see initial HN report & “video” below), a person suffered burns during a fire inside of a bedroom at the “Larry Doughty House” Friday evening. At around 8:30 p.m., Hyannis Firefighters responded to 78 Pleasant Street after a woman was burned during a flash fire, according to Assistant Chief Greg Dardia of the Hyannis Fire Department. The fire started when a cigarette lighter ignited a combustible beauty product. Staff and at least one resident helped the woman extinguish the flames after she had caught fire. The woman suffered burns to her upper torso and head. The burns fortunately did not appear to injure her airway, which would have made her injuries much more problematic. The woman was hospitalized and it’s unknown for how long… but because of the quick response from staff, at least one resident, police, and firefighters, the woman’s burn injuries were not as bad as they could have been. Twelve residents were temporarily evacuated from the transitional housing units. The quick response by everyone on scene kept fire damage to a minimum and residents were able to eventually return to their units. Anytime there’s a fire in a group home, “the life hazard is a big concern… and the workload is multiplied,” Assistant Chief Dardia explained.

HN NOTE: Thankfully the team effort by everyone who assisted Friday evening prevented the loss of lives.  Also, as mentioned in HN’s initial report, the young man who told HN that he helped extinguish the fire was the resident mentioned above.  He apparently removed his shirt to help the woman by smothering the flames…

Friday’s fire has been deemed “accidental,” according to Assistant Chief Dardia.

INITIAL HN & CALL AUDIO REPORT:

Person suffers burns during Pleasant Street bedroom fire… [hn audio]

HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS – A person suffered burns during a fire inside a bedroom at the “Larry Doughty House.” As you will hear in the following HN “video,” at around 8:30 p.m., Friday evening, police and firefighters responded to 78 Pleasant Street after fire broke out in one of the rooms. Police closed down Pleasant Street and Hyannis Firefighters quickly attacked the situation and checked for extension. Residential staff are said to have initially helped battle the fire by using water and a fire extinguisher, according to Captain David Webb of the Hyannis Fire Department. The patient suffered burns to their head, described as minor to moderate, and was eventually transported to Cape Cod Hospital in a mutual aid ambulance from the Yarmouth Fire Department. Damage to the unit was reported to be relatively minor. A member of the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Crime Scene Unit responded to take photos. The fire is still actively being investigated and there were no further details that could be officially released at the time of this report, according to Captain Webb.

Online sources describe the Larry Doughty House as being a building with transitional housing units, with room for 12 residents. No word on whether any of the residents were displaced by the fire. A young man on scene yesterday told HN that he helped extinguish the fire that burned a woman who was using hair spray while smoking, but his alleged version of events has not been officially confirmed by fire officials, and HN will provide updates and clarifications as they become available. The patient’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening by all accounts…

The following HN “video” contains police and fire radio transmissions from Friday evening…

[HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]

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