ROCKLAND – An apartment house in Rockland was saved from significant damage, just before 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 23, despite a second-floor rear deck catching fire.

According to the Rockland Fire Department’s report, an alert and responsive tenant in a first-floor apartment noticed the fire and called 911 before using buckets of water to start dousing the flames himself. That action minimized the smoke and flames seen by crew members of A-shift upon their arrival.

Firefighters from Camden and Rockport were called to the scene following the initial report of fire. However, A-shift members, under the supervision of Asst. Chief Mikial Mazzeo, knocked the fire down very quickly. The Camden unit was immediately canceled. Rockport continued to the scene.

Three tenants occupied two apartments of the two-and-a-half story building at 10 Summer Street, owned by Mike Sabatini. All occupants were outside of the building prior to the arrival of firefighters.

“The occupant was smoking on the deck earlier in the day and it is believed a discarded cigarette caused a smoldering fire that eventually ignited the porch,” Mazzeo wrote in the report. 

That tenant was not at home when the fire developed, melting the vinyl siding, but not burning the building itself.

In his report, Mazzeo said: The (alert) tenant did the right things when he decided to tackle this fire on his own. He ensured 9-1-1 was called and the building was being evacuated (first). He approached the fire with water and from a position that he could escape (keeping himself between the fire and the exit) should the fire grow beyond his control.