On February 12, 2023, at approximately 0100 hours, Brockton Fire Department tackled a 3-alarm fire at 25 Central Sq that was accidentally started with a candle. Upon arrival, several people were hanging from the windows of the third floor of the building. Firefighters got right to work as the severity of the situation was significant.
In the early hours of the morning, a multifamily home caught on fire. Brockton Fire Department stated that the fire was heavy upon arrival, and several people were hanging from the third floor of the building. The fire was traveling fast up the building so Brockton firefighters had to act fast.
The first truck that arrived immediately requested another alarm, as they knew the fire was too big and they were going to need backup. Brockton Fire Chief Brian F. Nardelli stated that by using ground ladders, “They were able to get 5 rescues out of the third floor. All have been transferred to the hospital”. Nardelli also informed to the public that the two other residents of the building came out on their own. After everyone in the building was officially evacuated, firefighters were then able to make entry and successfully extinguish the fire that was growing rapidly.
7 people in total were transferred by EMS to Good Samaritan Medical Center. All victims were stable except for one, a teenager, and they were in critical condition. Thanks to the great training and drills that the Brockton Firefighters undergo, this outcome is much better than what it could have been.
There were no injuries to firefighters and Nardelli had a closing statement saying that “you could not understand how satisfied I am with the men standing behind me right now. We work on this all time, we drill on this all the time, we train all the time and to be able to affect rescue over ground ladders you have to understand… it is the last thing we want to do because it is the most difficult using the ground ladders”.
Fire safety is important, and Fire Chief Nardelli emphasized that taking proper safety measures while using candles is essential. Nothing should be within a foot of a lit candle and a candle should never be left unattended to prevent safety hazards. Blow lit candles out before leaving the room it is lit in. At this time, there is no further information.
