BEVERLY — A multimillion home fit for the pages of a home and garden magazine burned to the ground last night in a fast-moving, three-alarm fire in Beverly Farms.
The fire quickly spread throughout the 21�Ñ2-story wood-frame home with stucco exterior that is tucked away in the woods a quarter-mile from Hale Street.
Police reported no injuries in the blaze.
The home is owned by state Republican power player Darrell Crate, who recently served as treasurer of former Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.
The eight-bedroom home that sits on 7 acres of land near the end of a quarter-mile-long access road became completely engulfed in flames shortly after police and firefighters arrived on scene.
Beverly police Sgt. Lawrence Van Liere said when the first police officer arrived at the scene shortly before 9 p.m., the fire was on the left side of the home. Minutes later, the fire was in the roof and then over onto the right side of the home.
Van Liere said firefighters first on scene entered the home but immediately had to retreat.
"The fire was so intense," Van Liere said.
Getting water at the home was an arduous task for firefighters since there are no fire hydrants on the access road. Firefighters from about a dozen towns, including Gloucester and Peabody, brought in additional lines of fire hoses to crews at the scene.
But no amount of water seemed to help knock down the blaze. The fire quickly consumed the home, and by 10:15 p.m., the front, left side of the home began collapsing.
The rear of the home was completely knocked down, giving a clear view of the complete interior ablaze.
Public records indicate the home, built in 1896, has gone through an extensive refurbishment, including an $83,000 kitchen, basement and bath remodeling project. City assessment records list the property's value at $3.1 million.
Van Liere said the owners were not home at the time. There was someone inside the home when the fire was reported.
Police radio transmission reported the station receiving a 911 call shortly before 9 p.m. with the only thing that could be heard was screaming and a fire alarm.
Police said they called back and the phone line was busy.
When a patrol officer arrived at the scene, he reported the home fully involved.
A woman who arrived at the scene about an hour after the fire was reported declined to comment.
Crate, the former head of the state Republican party, works at Affiliated Management Group, a company owned by the husband of former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, Sean Healey.
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