13 Leavitt Street_BUILDING DEPT-FIRE
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Active Fire Response
Property Location: 13 Leavitt Street
August 26th, 2026
Owner(s):
Peter Cunningham
Email : Hmmr18@AOL.com
Phone : (978) 317-2241
Jennifer Cunningham
Email : AuntJenny32@Gmail.com
Phone : (978) 985-3414
On the afternoon of 08/25/2026 at 11:27 AM, I received a call from
Deputy Phil Lohnes of the Salem Fire Department informing me that there was a
second-floor porch fire and requested a Building Department personnel to be
present at 13 Leavitt Street in Salem. Upon arrival to the property at 11:35 AM, I
approached Deputy Lohnes who described the porch fire was on the second floor,
did not transfer into the building and has recently been extinguished. He directed
me towards the path through the side yard so I can inspect the damage for myself.
After climbing the stairs to the second floor, I observed the floorboards of the
porch were charred but not burnt through to compromise the structural integrity of
the deck joists. I observed the railings have been burnt through and were no
longer structurally stable. I observed the window leading into the second-floor
bedroom was broken and removed, with the sill plate being burned and no longer
viable. I observed the siding of the home throughout the second-floor porch was
scorched up the length of the entire wall. I also observed the underside of the
metal sided roof eave above the porch and parts of the gutters were warped from
exposure to the heat of the fire or were ripped off and laying in the side yard
below. The second-floor porch also had a stationary exercise bicycle, car rims and
other pieces of debris scattered throughout the exterior space. After walking
through the second-floor apartment, I also observed the wall board of the adjacent
bedroom had been ripped off and the front door for the unit had been broken to
gain access to the unit during the Fire Department’s response.
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
After making my observations, I spoke with Jennifer Cunninham, the
owner of the property. She informed me the building has three (3) apartment-style
units in it and the second-floor tenant was Margarita Reyes. Jennifer said Ms.
Reyes was not home at the time of the fire. I informed Jennifer that she and her
husband, Peter Cunningham, will need to contact a boarding company to board up
the second-floor unit front door, the second-floor unit bedroom window and the
second-floor hallway door that leads out to the second-floor porch where the fire
occurred.
At 12:17 PM Peter Cunningham called his insurance company to vet
boarding company options. The owner decided to contact Boston Board Up and a
representative from the boarding company arrived around 2:50 PM.
When I left the site, I turned it over to Keith Brennan of the Salem Fire
Department, who was posted as a Fire Watch until 4:30 PM.
This deposition was written by Gail Kubik, Local Building Inspector for
the City of Salem at 11:59 AM on 08/26/2026. Photo Documentation of the
observed damage is on the following nine (9) pages.
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 1: Second Floor Exterior Porch
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 2: Second Floor Exterior Porch – Floor Boards
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 3: Second Floor Exterior Porch – Window Sill and Siding
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 4: Second Floor Exterior Porch – Window in Adjacent Bedroom
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 5: Second Floor Exterior Porch – Structure for third floor porch above.
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 6: Second Floor Apartment Unit – Bedroom Wall and window adjacent
to the porch.
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 7: First Floor Exterior Porch – Structure for Second Floor porch above.
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 8: Roof Eaves – Metal Siding is warped from the heat of the fire.
DOMINICK PANGALLO
MAYOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
TEL. (978) 745-9595
STAVROULA ORFANOS
BUILDING COMMISSIONER/ DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROPERTY/
ZONING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Photo 9: Roof Eaves and Gutters – Damaged from the heat of the fire.