Basement Fire Destroys Split-Level Ranch Home as Family of Four Escapes
A fast-moving fire originating in the basement destroyed a split-level ranch home at 70 Garden Parkway yesterday morning, leaving the structure a “total loss” valued at approximately $100,000 to replace, according to Norwood fire officials.
Fire Captain Robert Malloy reported that the blaze, which erupted at approximately 7:15 a.m., burned out of control for about 90 minutes. The flames were heavily fueled by natural gas escaping from a ruptured pipe in the basement. A second alarm was sounded shortly after 7:30 a.m., prompting mutual aid assistance from Westwood firefighters. While human injuries were miraculously avoided, the family cat perished in the fire.
Heroic Escape & Incident Details
The Preskenis Family Evacuation
Eighteen-year-old **Steven Preskenis** awoke to the smell of smoke and quickly roused his mother, **Mary** (52), brother **Paul** (25), and sister **Julie** (20), guiding them safely out of the burning split-level home. The family—whose husband and father, William Preskenis, passed away the prior year—made immediate arrangements to stay with relatives in Randolph.
Firefighting Operations & Investigation
- Natural Gas Fed Flames: Captain Robert Malloy noted that a ruptured gas pipe intensified the basement blaze, requiring an extended 90-minute firefight.
- Mutual Aid: Norwood crews were reinforced by a second-alarm response from Westwood.
- Photo Coverage: Scene cleanup and firefighting efforts were documented by staff photographer **Yunghi Kim**.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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