By HANNA SNYDER and JOHN ENOS
An 82-year-old woman died in a two-alarm fire that left her home at 154 Wheeler St. a charred ruin early yesterday morning. Flames and smoke thwarted efforts to rescue Marion Graham. Her husband, 83-year-old Stewart Graham, escaped and was treated for smoke inhalation at Addison Gilbert Hospital.
Patrolmen Vincent Adelfio and Steven Mizzoni were the first to arrive after police received a 911 call at 3:33 a.m. The patrolmen found flames engulfing the two-story, wooden shingled house set on pilings over the Annisquam River.
When firefighters from the Central and Bayview stations arrived at 3:38 a.m., they spoke with Stewart Graham, who reported that his wife was still inside the house.
Graham told firefighters he woke when he heard a noise on the first floor. He discovered flames near a utility room off the kitchen, where a washer, dryer and hot water heater were located. Graham called 911 after trying to extinguish the flames himself and rescue his wife.
Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Aiello said Graham was able to reach the top of the stairs but was forced out of the house by heat and smoke, which also kept firefighters from entering the house when they arrived.
"Initially we attempted to get in," Aiello said, "but we were driven back by heavy fire and heat."
Mizzoni, who also tried to enter the burning house through the roof, said, "There was just too much smoke."
Firefighters used ladders in an attempt to reach the second-floor bedroom where Stewart Graham said his wife was. Firefighters used a water pump to battle flames on the second floor, and used hoses to douse flames on the first floor.
Firefighters eventually knocked down the fire on the first floor enough to enter the house. But after about 15 minutes of fighting the blaze, Aiello said firefighters decided "an interior attack and rescue weren't possible."
"So the crews were taken out (of the building) and the fire was attacked from the outside," he said. "After 15 to 20 minutes, there is little chance of making a rescue, and a greater chance of the building collapsing. "We didn't want anyone else seriously injured or killed," he said.
Firefighters finally got into the building about an hour after they arrived, Aiello said. They found Marion Graham on the floor of her bedroom. Aiello said she apparently had tried to escape.
Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the blaze, although it does not seem suspicious.
Fire officials had no update on Stewart Graham's condition yesterday. He had been "very distraught" at the scene, Aiello said, but his condition did not appear to be life threatening.
Aiello said he has been in contact with a daughter of the couple and a son-in-law who live in Gloucester.
Gloucester has seen five or six fatal fires during Aiello's 20 years with the department.
"They're not that frequent," he said, "but when they do occur, it's very upsetting for the personnel. They train to do their job and when things don't go right, they take it very hard.
Yesterday's fire, he said, "had too much of a head start."
"It was a great effort, and they did the job they are trained to do," he said.
Firefighters' response time yesterday was five minutes, which Aiello said is on par for the department.
"That's pretty standard for most of the city," he said, "five minutes or below."
Capt. Joseph Aiello led firefighters responding to yesterday's blaze, including firefighters Stephanie Eaton, Sean Ketchopulous, Greg Marchant, Robert Rivas and Sander Schultz.
Essex, Manchester and Rockport firefighters covered Gloucester stations after a second alarm required all city units to respond.
