BEVERlY – At 0552 Friday morning, 6/26/2026, Beverly firefighters responded to a report of a building fire at 43.5 Abbott St. Deputy Chief Ryan Laracy arrived from the Headquarters Station, just down the street, to find heavy fire coming from a second-floor window of the two-family structure. Deputy Laracy requested a second alarm to bring mutual aid firefighters to the scene and found that all the residents were out of the home.
First-arriving companies from Headquarters quickly launched a coordinated attack on the main body of fire on the second floor. Crews met heavy heat, smoke, and flames as they advanced. Given the building’s size, age, and layout, firefighters quickly determined the fire had extended to the third floor and attic spaces and began searching for hidden fire.
A third alarm was struck, bringing more mutual aid firefighters to the scene. Firefighters from Beverly, Salem, Wenham, Manchester, Hamilton, Peabody, Topsfield, and Middleton worked tirelessly to find fires hidden in chases, behind walls, and in ceilings before the fire was brought under control.
The building consists of two condominiums. One on the left side and another on the right side. Fire traveled up exterior walls and the roof line into the attic spaces causing considerable damage to both sides, The two adult occupants of each condominium were displaced. Turtles and a cat were saved from one unit, but one cat was lost in another.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Beverly Fire Department Fire Investigation unit. At this time, it appears that the fire was accidental in nature and started in a second-floor office area.
There were no injuries to occupants or firefighters.
We are grateful for the help of our mutual aid partners and the dedicated response of REHAB5, and our public safety partners at the Beverly Police and Northeast Regional Ambulance.
