Photos Of Fire At Bill & Frena Philips On Rte 128

[Henry]

Hi All,

A storage shed behind the Phillips Sugar house was fully engulfed when I got there.  Westford Fire Department with a few fire fighters was battling the blaze and Fairfax Fire was just setting up.  It appears that the fire is confined to the tool shed as heavy black smoke from a couple of tractors and possibly one of Bills Old Cars in the shed burns.

Fairfax Rescue also responded and Essex Fire who had the furthest to come also arrived

Thick black smoke could be seen for miles around as a couple of tractors & possibly one of Bill's old cars burned

Westford Fire with limited manpower was first on the scene

Farifax Firemen are shown providing water for the fire

As more Fairfax firemen shown above work on the fire

More photos can be found on my photo gallery at:

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/

[NorthFairfaxBoy]

Last report I heard besides Westford and Fairfax, Essex & Essex Junction were also called.  Williston was called to cover the Essex Junction station.

[Henry]

You are correct Brian, I forgot to add them in this post.  They arrived after I got there, but was not aware that Williston was covering Essex.  I will double check, and make sure I have Essex and Essex Junction in my photo gallery write-up.  David St. Pierre was at the scene, so I suspect that there may be something on Channel 3 which is scheduled for 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. tonight.

[Henry]

Tonight's Channel 3 News stated that the fire started when someone was doing some welding in the tool shed

[NorthFairfaxBoy]

Seems it was a busy day in the Williston/Essex area, a few crashes, dryer fire....
very quiet in the Central Vermont/Capital city area.

[Henry]

For some additional photos of the fire taken by Free Press Photographer Ryan Mercer, click on the following link:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=BT&Date=20071110&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=711100803&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

[Henry]

The News Media reported the following:

A fire broke out Saturday morning in a barn at the home of Bill Phillips on Vermont 128 in Westford when family members were working with welding equipment.  Accelerants in the workshop fueled the fire and it quickly got out of control, said Essex Fire Chief Charles Cole.  High winds spread the fire into an adjacent structure where hay was stored.  No one was injured in the blaze, but the barn was destroyed.  Firefighters from Essex, Essex Junction, Fairfax, Westford and Underhill/Jericho responded.