Stoughton firefighter loses house to blaze

STOUGHTON, Mass. (WHDH) -- A Stoughton firefighter lost his home to a blaze Friday afternoon.

"We like to play practical jokes every once in a while, being close to Christmas I thought it was a joke at first, and then no, it's serious," said Jack Hussey, who lost his home.

The home, a total loss, was boarded up Friday. Strong winds from afternoon storms fueled the fire.

"It doesn't usually happen this close to home…but it can happen to anyone at any given time,” said Deputy Chief Goldberg, Stoughton Fire Department .

Hussey is a Stoughton firefighter. He started his career in Abington; he and his family still live there.

Many of his fellow firefighters came to the house during the fire, just to show their support.

"He's got a high school aged daughter, and four days before Christmas, tears your heart out thinking he’s pretty much lost everything that he has,” said

"I'm the one who puts out the fires, I'm not supposed to be the person the fire happens to,” Hussey said.

The Stoughton Fire Department quickly formed the Jack Hussey Fund to help the family because they say he'd be the first to step up to help them.

"He's the first guy to step up to the plate and help somebody else out when they’re in need, that's why everybody wants to make sure we get behind him, we get everything he needs. Especially around the Christmas holiday,” said Jim Curtain, union president.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Donations for Jack Hussey can be made to:

Stoughton Firefighters Local 1512
1550 Central Street
Stoughton, MA 02072

Also, Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts opened up an account at the Boston Firefighters Credit Union: http://www.pffm.org/