In a dramatic and unusually busy Monday for the Burlington Fire Department, firefighters battled two separate structure fires just four hours apart on November 24, both made significantly more difficult by spray-foam insulation that caused hidden flames to persist for hours.

The first blaze broke out shortly after 3:00 p.m. at 178 North Champlain Street. Callers reported flames shooting from first-floor windows on the south side of the three-story building. Crews arrived in under three minutes to find heavy fire already melting the vinyl siding on the neighboring home. Commanders immediately struck a second alarm, pulling every on-duty Burlington firefighter to the scene and bringing in mutual-aid units for city coverage.

Less than five hours later, at 7:46 p.m., another call came in for the smell of smoke at 230 Pine Street. When engines arrived just two minutes later, visible fire was rolling out of second-floor windows. The blaze quickly spread upward to the third floor, into wall voids, and the roof structure. The combination of spray-foam insulation and a slate roof forced commanders to escalate the incident to a third alarm — the department’s highest response level — calling in all on-duty personnel, off-duty callbacks, and assistance from South Burlington, Colchester, and Winooski fire departments.

In both incidents, crews were able to knock down the visible fire relatively quickly, but the spray-foam insulation trapped heat and allowed the flames to rekindle in hidden spaces, requiring lengthy and labor-intensive overhaul work to fully extinguish.

Remarkably, residents in both buildings safely evacuated before firefighters arrived, and no injuries were reported at either scene.

The causes of both fires remain under active investigation by the Burlington Fire Marshal’s Office. Anyone with information is asked to call 802-864-5577.

Following the twin incidents, fire officials reiterated their ongoing “Close Your Door” public-safety campaign, emphasizing that a closed bedroom door can dramatically slow the spread of fire and deadly smoke, potentially saving lives. More information is available at closeyourdoor.org.