By RUSS OLIVO

WOONSOCKET — Sixteen people were left homeless Monday afternoon when a basement fire melted the main sewer pipe to their tenement at 64-70 Roland St., firefighters said.

The fire, which broke out about 3 p.m., caused little structural damage except for the plastic sewer pipe. It also melted the soldering on a couple of water lines which ended up dripping water onto the fire, providing firefighters with an unexpected assist, said Fire Chief Kenneth Finlay.
The origin of the fire was traced to a caged storage area filled with clothing, books, a mattress and other personal belongings, but the cause remains under investigation. The sewer pipe hugged the ceiling just above the storage area where the fire broke out, the chief said.
“We’ve got the area where the fire started pretty much pinpointed,” said Finlay. “We just don’t have that final answer of how it started.”
City building inspectors declared the house uninhabitable for health and safety reasons pending the replacement of the sewer pipe, said Finlay. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters encountered heavy smoke coming out of the basement when they arrived, the fire chief said. Workers at the neighboring Michaud Autobody first reported the fire.
The sprinkler-like effect of the dripping water lines was one of several factors that helped suppress the fire and shorten the amount of time it took to put out, said Finlay. The windowless basement deprived the fire of ventilation, which also kept the fire from spreading quickly.
The thick, black smoke spewed by the smoldering fire also helped keep it in check, the chief said. But some of the smoke wafted into the upstairs halls, causing the most significant structural damage other than the melting of the plumbing and a few electrical cables.
The three-story duplex with six apartments was home to 16 people, including five children, said Patrolman Russell Cote, who was also on the scene. All of the occupants, and several of their pets, managed to get out of the building safely, he said.
Cote’s report lists Raymond H. Beaudoin of North Smithfield as the owner of the dwelling. Reached by telephone, Beaudoin said he didn’t know how long it would be before the tenants could go home, but he declined further comment.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by state and local fire marshals, Finlay said.