The firefighter who died battling a two-alarm chimney fire in the tiny western Massachusetts town of Montgomery was the department’s chief, who collapsed at the scene and died after being rushed to a nearby hospital, according to the state’s Department of Fire Services.
“He was the best, he was the absolutely best, you couldn't ask for a better person,” said a woman who identified herself as Frye’s sister-in-law and said the family is devastated by the loss. “He would give you give the shirt off his back. He was the best of the best of the best.”
Chief Stephen P. Frye, 59, collapsed fighting the fire at 1524 Southampton Road last night after a call for a chimney fire came in at around 11:08 p.m., according to DFS spokeswoman Jennifer Mieth.
“Immediate aid was rendered by firefighters that were with him and the Hilltown Ambulance that was already on scene,” Mieth said in a statement. “He was transported to Bay State Noble Hospital in Westfield where he was pronounced dead.”
Frye had worked with the Montgomery Fire Department since 1993 and served as chief for the past 13 years, Mieth said. He is survived by his wife and two adult children, a son and a daughter. His son, Mieth said, is also a member of the small town’s all-volunteer fire department and responded to the fire where his father collapsed and later died.
“This is a small tight knit community and the fire department is like a second family to its members," State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said. "I offer heartfelt condolences to the Frye family and the Montgomery and area fire departments on this devastating loss.”
Critical Incident Stress Management services are on scene working with the first responders, Ostoskey’s office said.
Montgomery, which had less than 1,000 residents at the last census and is located just west of Springfield, does not have a hydrant system, Mieth said, so tankers were used to assist firefighters. The fire spread from the chimney to the home, Mieth said, resulting in a second alarm. The residents were able to escape unharmed, but the home is a total loss, Mieth said.
An investigation into the fire by the Montgomery Fire Department and state police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office and the Hamden District Attorney determined the cause of the fire was an accidental chimney fire, Mieth said.
Units from the Huntington, Southampton, Westfield, Westhampton, Russell, Barnes Air Force Base, Easthampton and Holyoke Fire Departments, Hilltown Ambulance, Massachusetts State Police and the Huntington Police Department all responded to the incident.