Massachusetts
Mass. firefighters battle frigid temps — fireworks explosion — during propane-fueled blaze: video
This wasn’t a cause for celebration.
Massachusetts firefighters were left scrambling this weekend when an inadvertent fireworks display erupted over a massive, propane-fueled blaze that destroyed two suburban homes and damaged a third.
Crews in Spencer, Mass., were already battling arctic 20-degree temperatures, dangerously icy conditions and a brutal inferno that exploded on East Avenue at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, CBS News said.
But the mammoth blaze — which was fed by propane tanks stored in the basement of one of the homes destroyed — wasn’t the only problem.
At one point, the flames reached an assortment of fireworks stored in the home — sending a grandiose spectacle leaping in all directions across the skies of the tiny town about a half-hour west of Worcester.
Video taken by a neighbor and published by CBS showed the fireworks streaming skyward, then bursting as shocked onlookers yelled in surprise.
“The main house, we didn’t even do anything with initially,” Spencer Fire Chief Robert Parsons told WCVB in Massachusetts. “It was well-involved when we pulled up.”
The home was empty when the fire started, officials said.
“Very quickly, this home had collapsed upon itself,” Parsons said. “This was an old home. It had a fire here about 30 years ago, so there was an old section and a new section to the home. We believe it started in the old section.”
Later on, the local fire department said in a Facebook post that “two of our families from town lost everything tonight and a third had damage to their home.”
“It’s devastating before Christmas,” said Justin Peck, who lived in the second home. “It just feels like everything’s falling apart.”
Two firefighters even fell through the ice of a nearby pond as they tried to pull water from its depths, since there are no fire hydrants in the area, officials said.
Despite the catastrophic property damage, no one was hurt by the flames, the icy conditions or the impromptu Independence Day display.
Local authorities and the state fire marshal are still trying to nail down what caused the blaze.
Medford native Maria Menounos hosting ‘Heal Squad Day of Reset’ in Yarmouth
Medford native and celebrity Maria Menounos is hosting ‘Heal Squad Day of Reset’ at Red Jacket Beach Resort & Spa in Yarmouth.
Looking for a beach where fellow beachgoers have good manners?
Travel website Exoticca conducted a survey and found the beach with the best beach etiquette in each state, including Massachusetts, so you can know the place where Bay Staters treat both the beach and each other with the most respect.
“We surveyed 3,011 Americans to find out where beachgoers are seen as having the best etiquette, and the results say quite a lot about what people actually want from a beach vacation,” Exoticca said.
In Massachusetts, voters said to head to the North Shore.
Crane Beach — Ipswich, Massachusetts
The extremely popular Crane Beach in the North Shore town of Ipswich was voted the best for beach etiquette by Exoticca’s readers.
Exoticca said that the places that scored the highest in positive beach etiquette were places where people focused on the clarity of the water and the beautiful scenery rather than external distractions like seaside restaurants or shops on the boardwalk, where “everyone around seems to understand that nobody wants the place spoiled.”
Crane Beach is known for its white sand and conservation. It’s one of the nesting places for piping plovers, according to The Trustees.
“To protect threatened shorebirds during your visit, we ask that you avoid the fenced nesting areas and the wrack, the line of washed-up organic debris where the birds feed and hide,” the Trustees said.
Despite having 350,000 people visit annually, according to the Trustees, Crane Beach still achieved the top spot of beach etiquette.
How to visit Crane Beach
Barring going on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or on Veterans’ Day for families with veterans, visitors do have to buy tickets for vehicle entry and parking. Tickets are cheaper if visitors arrive via motorcycle, biking, or walking.
“Strict rules apply: no drop-offs, re-entry for nonmembers, or outside food delivery; dogs and horses are not allowed April 1–September 30,” the ticket selection webpage said.
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@usatodayco.com.
Massachusetts
Mass stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Cape Cod said to be largest in Massachusetts history
Rescuers were working to save around 30 bottlenose dolphins that got stranded off the coast of Cape Cod early Monday morning. It is the largest known stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Massachusetts, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The dolphins had become stranded between First Light and Ellis Landing in Brewster at about 5:30 a.m. when they came in with the tide. A woman noticed the animals and reported it. The IFAW quickly responded to the area, but five to six of the marine mammals died before help arrived.
The IFAW worked throughout the day on Monday to get the mammals away from the shoreline before the next low tide at 5:13 p.m. They said late Monday afternoon that they were still successfully being steered away.
“Our team remains in the area to monitor and herd the animals away from shore,” an IFAW spokesperson said. “We know these events can sometimes repeat in the coming hours and days, but we remain hopeful.”
The organization said it had seen an uptick in bottlenose dolphins becoming stranded off Cape Cod in the last few years.
“Bottlenose dolphins are typically an offshore species,” the spokesperson said.
They asked that anyone who encounters a stranded or distressed marine mammal not get close and never drag or push the animal back into the water.
“Similar to a person involved in a car accident, dolphins can become injured and exhausted during a stranding event,” the IFAW said.
Instead, they recommend calling their IFAW stranding hotline at 508-743-9548.
A man has died following an apparent drowning at a pond in Randolph, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
The Randolph police and fire departments received a 911 call at around 4 p.m. for a swimmer in distress in the water on Pond Street, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office..
Firefighters located the man a short time later, officials added, and he was taken by ambulance to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Kingston Fire Department had said just before 4 p.m. that their dive team was activated for a missing swimmer in Randolph, but that the activation was canceled after the swimmer was located.
Further information is not being released at this time, including the man’s name.
Massachusetts State Police detectives and the Randolph Police Department are investigating.
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