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Public Safety

Fire Prevention Week: check your alarms, charge with care and give space heaters room this winter

Before heating season, here is what fire officials want every household to do, where to get a free smoke alarm, and how to help the Rockport families who lost their homes on Broadway.

The granite Fire Headquarters building on Broadway in Rockport, with the town seal over its sign and three white garage doors
Rockport Fire Headquarters on Broadway on Oct. 6. Staff Photo (file)
GloucesterRockportEssexManchester-by-the-Sea

Cape Ann Current Staff · Thursday, October 8How we work

This is Fire Prevention Week, and on Cape Ann it comes with a fresh reminder of what a fire can take.

Less than three weeks ago, fire destroyed the building at 19 Broadway in Rockport. It took the Rockport House of Pizza and the homes of the families who lived upstairs. No one was hurt, but the families lost nearly everything they owned.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who were displaced in Rockport, with the Rockport House of Pizza team and with every family across Cape Ann who has suffered loss because of fire.

Now through Sat., Oct. 10Fire Prevention Week
Fri., Oct. 9, 5 to 8 p.m.Manchester firefighters' chili cook-offAdd to calendar: GoogleApple or Outlook
Sun., Nov. 1Clocks fall back. Change alarm batteries.Set a yearly reminder: GoogleApple or Outlook

Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 4 to 10. The National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit that writes fire safety codes, picks a theme each year. This year it is "Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower," about the rechargeable batteries in phones, laptops, e-bikes and power tools. The Essex Fire Department shared the state's Fire Prevention Week message on Facebook this week, and the Gloucester Fire Department has used the week in past years to push two simple lessons: plan your escape, and never leave cooking alone.

A white clapboard firehouse with a Hose 8 sign over its doors and an old wagon wheel out front, on a tree lined street in Annisquam
The Hose 8 firehouse in Annisquam village, Gloucester, in 2012. File photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

With the heat about to come on in most Cape Ann homes, here is what to check now.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Smoke alarms warn you about fire. Carbon monoxide alarms warn you about a gas you cannot see or smell, called CO, that comes from furnaces, boilers, stoves and cars. You need both. State fire officials say you may have less than three minutes to get out of a burning home after the smoke alarm goes off.

A round white smoke alarm mounted on a textured ceiling
Test every alarm once a month by pressing its test button. Photo: Georg Pik, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Alarm basics

  • 1Right placesSmoke alarms go on every level, in each sleeping area, in the hall outside bedrooms, at the top of open stairs and at the bottom of cellar stairs. CO alarms go on every level and within 10 feet of bedroom doors.
  • 2Test monthlyPress the test button and listen for the beep.
  • 3New batteries yearlyIf your alarms take regular batteries, or are wired in with a backup battery, change the battery at least once a year. Do it Nov. 1 and set a phone reminder now.
  • 4Listen to the chirpA chirp means a low battery, or on a sealed alarm, that the alarm is worn out and must be replaced. If cooking smoke sets it off, open a window and press "hush." Never pull the battery.
Set it and forget it. Add free reminders to your phone calendar: Test alarms monthly: GoogleApple or OutlookChange batteries yearly: GoogleApple or Outlook
What you haveWhen to replace
Smoke alarmThe whole alarm after 10 years. Check the date on the back.
CO alarmEvery 5 to 7 years, depending on the model. Newer CO alarms with a sealed 10 year battery are replaced at 10 years.
Alarm with regular batteries, or wired in with a backup batteryBattery at least once a year.
Alarm with a sealed 10 year batteryNo battery changes. Replace the whole alarm when it reaches 10 years.

Buying a new one? In older one and two family homes, Massachusetts requires replacement battery smoke alarms to be the photoelectric type, with a sealed 10 year battery and a "hush" button that quiets false alarms from cooking. Look for a UL or Intertek (ETL) label and a well known national brand to avoid fakes. The U.S. Fire Administration also suggests linked alarms, so when one sounds they all sound. Special alarms with flashing lights and vibration are made for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Sources: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, U.S. Fire Administration.

Can't afford an alarm? Get help

Free and low cost help

WhoWhat they offerHow to reach them
American Red CrossInstalls up to three free smoke alarms in Massachusetts homes, for renters and owners, and helps you make an escape plan.1-800-564-1234 (press 1, then 3) or request online
Action Inc.Runs federal fuel assistance for Cape Ann, which helps households that qualify pay heating bills. State fire officials say it can also help keep a heating system in safe working order.180 Main St., Gloucester. 978-282-1000

Charge with care

This year's theme is about lithium-ion batteries. They are in almost everything that recharges, and if they are damaged or charged the wrong way they can overheat and start a fire.

Buy, charge, stop, recycle

  • Buy listedChoose devices, batteries and chargers with a safety mark such as UL, ETL or CSA.
  • Charge safelyUse the cord that came with the device. Charge on a hard surface, never on a bed, couch or pillow. Unplug when it's full.
  • Stop if it's wrongStop using a battery that smells strange, gets very hot, pops, swells or changes color. If it is safe, move it away from anything that can burn.
  • Recycle rightNever put these batteries in the trash or recycling bin. Find a drop off at call2recycle.org.

Source: National Fire Protection Association.

Space heaters and other winter hazards

Heating is the second biggest cause of home fires in Massachusetts and the top source of carbon monoxide, according to the Department of Fire Services.

Close view of the grille of an electric ceramic space heater with a glowing red power light
Space heaters need at least 3 feet of space. Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Heating season do's and don'ts

Do

  • Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from a space heater.
  • Plug a space heater straight into the wall.
  • Buy one with a UL or ETL label and a tip over shutoff.
  • Have your furnace, boiler and water heater serviced every year.
  • Have your chimney and flue inspected and cleaned every year if you burn wood.
  • Keep your oil tank at least one quarter full.

Don't

  • Use a space heater as your main heat.
  • Use extension cords or power strips with a heater.
  • Leave a heater on when you leave the room or go to sleep.
  • Use a portable kerosene or propane heater indoors. It is illegal for home use in Massachusetts.
  • Flip switches if you smell gas. Get out and call 911 from outside.
  • Ignore a CO alarm. Go outside and call 911.

Source: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, Keep Warm, Keep Safe.

Check your home tonight

The U.S. Fire Administration, part of FEMA, publishes a one page fire safety checklist for homeowners and renters. We copied its items below so you can tick them off on your phone. Anything you can't check is something to fix.

Fire safety checklist for homeowners and renters

Smoke alarms
Carbon monoxide alarms
Cooking
Escape plan
Electrical and appliances
Candles

0 of 21 checked

Children are sometimes curious about fire. If you have children at home, lock up matches and lighters. Checklist: U.S. Fire Administration, Fire Safety Checklist for Homeowners and Renters (PDF, printable).

Fire on Cape Ann

Our towns know how quickly a fire can turn, and how much our fire departments lean on each other.

Gloucester Fire Department Ladder 1, a red and white Pierce ladder truck with a 100 foot aerial ladder, driving down a sunny Gloucester street past pink flowers
Gloucester Fire Department Ladder 1 on a Gloucester street. Staff Photo.
Gloucester Fire Department Engine 5, a red and white fire engine with an American flag painted on its front grille, rolling through an intersection
Gloucester Fire Department Engine 5. Staff Photo.

Recent fires

  • Rockport, Sept. 20, 2026A call about a strong smell of gas at 19 Broadway came in just before 10 a.m. The fire reached four alarms before it was put out about 1 p.m., according to Rockport Police and Fire. Crews came from Gloucester, Manchester, Essex and seven other towns. No one was hurt, but at least two families and the businesses on the first floor were displaced. A state fire services spokesperson told the Boston Globe the fire was accidental and believed to involve a gas leak.
  • Gloucester, July 26, 2025Heavy fire tore through a two story home at 62 Woodward Ave. Gloucester firefighters, with help from Rockport, Manchester and Essex, kept it from spreading to the homes next door, Fire Chief Eric Smith said.
  • Rockport, March 6, 2025A three alarm fire in a home on Granite Street sent the homeowner to the hospital. A tenant got out safely. Manchester firefighters came to help, and crews kept the fire to one bedroom, the Globe reported.
  • Rockport, January 2024A Rockport police officer and a passerby rescued an older couple from their burning home on Phillips Avenue on a frigid night, the Globe reported. Firefighters from Gloucester, Essex, Hamilton and Manchester helped.
A three story building with a mansard roof on Broadway in Rockport, its first floor and several windows covered with plywood, behind a construction fence with debris piled at one side
The building at 19 Broadway in Rockport on Oct. 6, boarded up after the Sept. 20 fire. Staff Photo.

How to help the Rockport families and the House of Pizza team

People who lost homes and jobs in the Broadway fire are still starting over. As of Oct. 7, none of the fundraisers had said where the families will live next. The only update, posted Sept. 20 on Mary Fletcher Ferrill's page, said she, her two sons and their cat were staying with family and that the Red Cross was coming to help.

Mary Fletcher Ferrill and her two sons
Set up by her sister, Judith Judson, after the family's apartment burned. They got out safely with their cat but lost everything.
Give on SupportNow
The Heal family
Organized by Ava Heal for her parents and sister, who lived on the third floor. They got out, but one of their cats and all of their belongings were lost.
Give on GoFundMe
Rockport House of Pizza staff
Organized by general manager and part owner Brenden Kolterjahn to help workers with lost pay while the owners look for a way to reopen in town.
Give on GoFundMe

The Cape Ann Current does not run these fundraisers and cannot say how the money is spent. Give only what you are comfortable giving.

This week

Manchester firefighters host their annual chili cook-off Friday, Oct. 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the fire station, with station tours and safety demonstrations. It is free. Read more about the cook-off.

Add to calendar: GoogleApple or Outlook

Where to learn more

Earlier coverage: Ten days after Rockport fire, no official word on the Broadway building or displaced families (Sept. 30) covered what officials had and had not said after the fire.

Sources

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