Two people, including a firefighter, were hospitalized Wednesday after flames broke out at a home in Reading, Massachusetts.
Crews responded to a call at 5:41 p.m. reporting the fire on James Road, Reading Fire Chief Rick Nelson said. Aerial footage showed flames bursting through a section of the roof as firefighters worked in frigid temperatures.
A resident was treated for burn injuries before being taken to an area hospital. Fire officials did not give any information on that person’s condition.
A firefighter also suffered an injury that is believed to be minor. He was hospitalized out of an abundance of caution, Nelson said.
Two people were displaced by the fire.
“I have known this family since I was a child,” said neighbor Alicia Zessis. “It’s a beautiful house, they’re a beautiful family.”
Zessis has lived along James Road for 54 years.
“Just so heartbreaking, it makes me want to cry. Really heartbreaking,” she said.
The cold temperatures and ice complicated the crews’ response, and hoarding conditions inside forced all companies out of the building.
“The conditions that they found inside were a lot of heavy personal belongings along the hallways and rooms,” Nelson said. “It made conditions very unsafe to be inside. They had high heat and heavy smoke conditions with very low visibility. So it was very dangerous.”
Firefighters continued dealing with hot spots Wednesday night.
Police said earlier that James Road was closed as crews battled the blaze.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
