NORTH SMITHFIELD — What began as a brush fire on the side of the roadway Tuesday afternoon escalated quickly due to dry, windy conditions, destroying a Providence Pike home before it was finally extinguished.
Reports of a blaze in the area of 594 Providence Pike began around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11. Nearby roads were closed as firefighters rushed to the scene of the four-alarm blaze, with mutual aid coming in from Lincoln and Smithfield, along with companies from Massachusetts including Millville, Douglas and Uxbridge.
The fire rapidly spread uphill to the wood frame house, which was fully engulfed and ultimately destroyed before firefighters knocked out the blaze.
According to town property records, the two-story, single-family home on a 1.5 acre lot belonged to Carlos Pena.
Chief Chartier David Chartier reportedly stated that there were no people or pets present during the fire, but around three to four acres were burned.
The fire was one of several to affect wooded areas in northern Rhode Island in recent days. It comes amid a Red Flag Warning from the National Weather Service with residents advised not to burn debris or start any outdoor fires due to extreme conditions.
