Quick action by off-duty firefighter keeps blaze at Plaistow home from spreading

Feb. 11--PLAISTOW -- An off-duty firefighter rushed to a house fire in his neighborhood Sunday afternoon, quickly killing flames on the outside of the building before they could spread, officials said.

B.J. Gusler responded to a fire at 11 Sunrise Terrace at 4:10 p.m. Sunday, and used two fire extinguishers -- one his own and one provided by a neighbor -- to knock down the blaze before other firefighters arrived.

The Fire Department received a 911 call, and Gusler, who is an on-call member of the department, recognized the address on his pager before responding to the fire only a few doors away from his home, officials said.

No injuries were reported from the fire, according to Plaistow Fire Department Deputy Michael Kennedy. The cause of the blaze is unknown, officials said.

Kennedy said Gusler's "fast response" allowed him to get the fire under control.

Gusler works for the Newton Fire Department. He has also been an on-call member of the Plaistow Fire Department for the last 15 years. On-call firefighters positions are similar to those of volunteer members of the department.

Gusler previously participated in the Explorer Program used by the Boy Scouts of America to train scouts with firefighters until the scouts become old enough to join a fire department.

Kennedy also said air pressurized water extinguishers were used to extinguish the fire.

Once they arrived, it took a little under two hours for firefighters to finish their efforts at the house, officials said.

Kennedy said the fire started outside of the house in a debris pile pushed up against the siding and the foundation of the home.

The front wall of the living room, a window and part of the ceiling were burned during the blaze, which also caused smoke damage to the home, according to Kennedy.

Kennedy said the blaze is not being investigated by the Fire Department because it did not appear to be suspicious. Instead, the fire will be investigated by the homeowner's insurance company, he said.

A report on the fire will appear in Tuesday's print edition of The Eagle-Tribune.

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