UPDATE: This article has been updated to include information on a GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit the family displaced by this fire.
HUDSON – A large fire drew Hudson firefighters to Stow on Thursday night as part of a three-alarm response involving personnel from over a dozen area fire departments.
Though no-one was injured, a family of four was displaced after flames burned their 2.5 story home on a wooded hill off Wheeler Road in town, according to a press release.
Firefighters contend with challenging conditions
Flames were first reported around 8:30 p.m.
First responding crews reportedly arrived to see smoke visible in the affected home.
With no nearby fire hydrants, those crews quickly called for backup to help fight the fire.
Ultimately, the Stow Fire Department said on Thursday night that water had to be pumped close to 2,000 feet uphill from a stream to support the emergency response.
Hudson contributed to the response, in part, by utilizing its tower truck to support exterior firefighting efforts.
The fire remained under investigation as of Thursday.
The American Red Cross of Massachusetts had been called to assist the displaced family.
“It was difficult to access water at this fire, but crews pushed through,” Stow Fire Chief John Benoit said in that aforementioned press release.
He further thanked mutual aid partners, including fire departments in Hudson, Clinton, Acton, Berlin, Maynard, Lancaster, Harvard, Bolton, Boxborough, Shirley, Concord and Sudbury for their support.
Community rally through GoFundMe fundraiser
Rallying in the wake of Thursday’s incident, donors had collectively pooled together just over $20,000 as of Saturday afternoon through a GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit the O’Connell family, which was displaced by this fire.
Launched in the wake of the blaze, the campaign initially set a $10,000 goal to help the family get back on its feet.
“The family is devastated and in shock,” the fundraiser description noted. “Everything they own of theirs was lost.”
Donors met the $10,000 goal in less than 24 hours, according to fundraiser organizers, who thanked the community in an updated message.
“The O’Connell’s are humbled and grateful to our wonderful community,” that update noted.
The GoFundMe page can be found at https://gofund.me/df309477.
