Cranston house fire brings 'total devastation' to police officer brothers
CRANSTON — May 23 was a perfect day for a lazy morning for Michael Matracia.
He didn't have anything to do until noon, so he was lying in bed, watching TV when his morning whiplashed from lazy to hectic as the smoke alarm went off.
Matracia, a 31-year veteran of the Providence Police, reacted with the cool-under-pressure instincts of a police officer.
"I dilly dally a little bit," he told The Providence Journal on Sunday. "I don't really panic when I hear the alarm."
But Matracia, 57, also had another situation to deal with: since 2004, because of multiple sclerosis, he has used a wheelchair. So, instead of jumping out of bed and dashing to the door, first he had to transfer from the bed to his chair.
Normally, that process takes a minute or two. But, on May 23, he needed a couple of tries, and he estimates that it took four or five minutes to get into his chair.
By that time, neighbors were banging on his windows, yelling.
"Get out of the house!" one neighbor screamed. "The back of the house is on fire!"
Matracia hits the controls of his motorized chair and heads for the door just as someone kicks it in.
The fire roars to life
With the sudden infusion of oxygen from outside air, the fire roars to life and smoke pours into the house, on Madison Avenue.
Matracia sees a silhouette where the door should be, and he aims for it, motoring his chair as fast as it will go.
"It was hectic for about 30 seconds," he said. But he rolled out the door, and kept going until he was in a cluster of trees across the street.
"I just sit back there all by myself," he said.
He watches with three minds:
The mind of a cop keeps track of the details, which fire units arrive when.
The mind of an advocate for those who use wheelchairs resolves to write a book so others can have a plan for how to respond to a fire.
The mind of a man absorbs the impact of watching his home go up in flames.
"Total devastation," he said Sunday. "I knew we were in trouble — all I had was sweatpants."
From the archive: Proud to still be wearing the uniform of a Providence police officer
Fundraiser held for the Matracia brothers
He has not been back to the house, owned by his brother, Charles, also a Providence police officer.
On Sunday, friends held a fundraiser for the brothers at St. Mary's Feast Society, in Knightsville. Organizer Cherie Bordieri, a childhood friend, said they expected 300 to 500 people to participate, raising $20,000 or more.
More: State begins work to add lane to Cranston Canyon, rehabilitate Route 37 bridges
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cranston house fire brings 'total devastation' to police officer brothers
