Coventry Firefighters Extinguish Lakehurst Drive Fire

COVENTRY, RI — Coventry Firefighters from all four districts responded to a Lakehurst Drive fire April 14 at about 10 p.m. that quickly escalated to a two-alarm call, knocking it down by about 11:49 p.m.

RI Breaking News Service reported the first call about the 245 Lakhurst Drive fire at about 10:14 p.m., and also posted photos from the scene. Central Coventry Fire District (CCFD) companies responded to the fire with assistance from the other Coventry districts and West Greenwich Firefighters, reportedly getting the house fire mostly extinguished just before midnight.

Central Coventry Fire Chief Kevin Cady said the house was a total loss. Red Cross is assisting the family of four from the house, who were not injured during the fire. Cady said there also no injuries to firefighters during the response, which was restricted to the exterior of the house, since everyone had been evacuated from inside. The home was a total loss, he said. The Fire Marshal is performing a routine investigation of the fire

The house was located at the end of Lakehurst Drive, and water supply to the firefighting effort was a brief challenge, Cady said. The response was aided by Engine 7, Engine 4 and Engine Tanker/Carrier 9, but Engine 1 was also needed to draft water from Johnson’s Pond nearby, about five houses down.

Cady noted it’s fortunate the water level on Johnson’s Pond is currently managed at useful state for firefighting. The pond levels have been managed higher since the town seized the property from Soscia Holdings, LLC in 2024, which had kept water levels low on the pond, to the chagrin of local homeowners.

“If that pond had been where it was a year or a couple years ago, we wouldn’t have gotten water from that spot,” Cady said. The next closest water access would’ve been a hydrant another 700 feet away, too far for their equipment to draw water.

Coventry Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 3372 also posted several photos of the fight to put out the fire to their Facebook page.