Officer endures smoke inhalation to save family during a garage fire in Raynham

A Raynham police officer’s quick actions may have helped a family escape a garage fire in Raynham. The call came in around 1:20 p.m. Saturday, with several crews assisting to provide mutual aid. According to Raynham Fire Chief Bryan LaCivita, the fire was mostly contained to the garage. Upon arriving on scene, Patrolman Michael Civale grabbed a fire extinguisher from his car and worked to quickly subdue the flames. Civale was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation, but according to Raynham police, he is now out of the hospital.

โ€œWe had an officer who bravely entered the garage and attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher,โ€ said Police Chief David LaPlante. โ€œHe was transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure, but, thankfully, heโ€™s fine. I commend him for his brave actions.โ€ Three residents lived in the home, but since the fire was contained to the garage, they will not be displaced. Fire officials later determined that the fire was caused by “careless disposal of smoking materials.”

โ€œFires like this need to serve as a reminder to carefully dispose of smoking materials,โ€ said Chief LaCivita. โ€œAlso, be sure to check that your smoke detectors are all fully operational. This fire could have been far worse if not for the quick response and decisive actions of both Raynham Police officers and Raynham firefighters.โ€

WJAR-TV NBC 10 Providence

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