QUINCY, MA - Around 8:30 A.M. on the morning of Saturday, February 4th, the Quincy Fire Department responded to a reported building fire at 125 Liberty Street, Quincy Collision and Frame Center. Companies arrived to find heavy smoke and fire in a commercial auto body shop that was extending to an adjacent one-story commercial building at 121 Liberty Street.

A second-alarm was requested, and companies were soon pulled out of the buildings due to deteriorating conditions. Engine companies found the first four hydrants they attempted to connect to were frozen, and inoperable. Hundreds of feet of four-inch supply line needed to be stretched down area streets to find good sources of water. Heavy fire was knocked down, but the fire had spread into the tightly compact commercial building, making complete extinguishment difficult.

Three ladder pipes and numerous hand lines set up both on the ground and on top of an adjacent building flowed water into the large one-story commercial building. With temperatures below 0-degrees Fahrenheit and a "feels like" temperature around -20 degrees Fahrenheit, crews not only had to battle heavy fire conditions on arrival, but also bitter cold and ice covering nearly everything on the fire ground. Several firefighters were seen slipping on the ice and to the ground. Firefighters encased in ice found warmth inside their trucks and at the Boston Sparks Association's rehab tents with heaters, hand warmers and hot coffee.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The buildings were not occupied at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.

More Photos Available At: www.NEFirePhoto.com