New photos: Warren firefighters at scene of four-tenement fire

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Warren firefighters fought a stubborn, smoky fire on Arlington Avenue Friday morning, working to contain a fully involved blaze that a witness said started on the third floor of a four-tenement apartment building at 7 Arlington Avenue just around 10 a.m.

 

Firefighters had to use several ladder trucks to fight the blaze, which caused heavy fire, smoke and water damage to the large white vinyl-clad building.

Though Fire CHief James Sousa was busy directing fire fighting efforts, a third-floor tenant told responders that he walked out of his apartment and saw sparks arcing from several light switches. He and the other occupants managed to get out of the house safely while 911 was called.

Dozens of fire fighters from Warren, Bristol and Tiverton responded to the fire, closing off Arlington Avenue from Market to Child while they fought the fire. Tenants sat in several adjacent yards watching the work, one of them carrying a baby. Traffic backed up along Child and other surrounding streets as passers-by were forced to take detours.

"It was going pretty good," said Paul Marabello, a witness who lives further down Arlington Avenue. "The fire was coming way out the top" of the roofline.

Even after the main portion of the fire was extinguished, fire fighters continued to douse it with water as small pockets of fire continued to smolder under the home's roofline and eaves.

Tax records indicate the tenement is owned by Julianna Sophia Lopes.

We will share more information as we gather reports at the scene.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.