Firefighter and resident injured in Reading, Massachusetts house fire
Firefighters in Reading, Massachusetts spent hours in freezing temperatures battling a fire at a home on James Road Wednesday night. A man who lives in the home and a firefighter were injured.
There was heavy fire when crews arrived at the two and a half story home just before 6 p.m.
"While they were starting to attack the fire, they did find a resident of the house who unfortunately had experienced some burns," said Reading Fire Chief Rick Nelson. "So, crews then had to stop fighting the fire and treat the resident."
The man, who is approximately 65 years old, was taken to an area hospital for treatment for his burn injuries. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital for injuries that appeared to be minor.
Chief Nelson said the weather and "hoarding conditions" inside the house hampered their efforts.
"The conditions that they found inside were a lot of heavy personal belongings, clogging hallways and rooms, made advancing hose lines very, very difficult and made conditions very unsafe to be inside," Chief Nelson said. "They had high heat and heavy smoke conditions with very low visibility."
Firefighters were forced to leave the home due to the conditions inside, Nelson said.
Two residents were displaced by the fire. Firefighters from eight nearby communities provided mutual aid at the scene.
Neighbors on the road were devastated to see the fire. "I have known this family since I was a child," neighbor Alicia Zessis said. "It's a beautiful house, they're a beautiful family and this is just so tragic."
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Reading police and fire departments and the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit attached to the State Fire Marshal's Office.