fb-pixelFirefighters battle four-alarm blaze at Stoughton home - The Boston Globe Skip to main content

Firefighters battle four-alarm blaze at Stoughton home

Firefighters in Stoughton responded to a home on Central Street where a large fire broke out Sunday afternoon, the Stoughton Fire Department said.Stoughton Fire Department

A family of four escaped without injury as a Stoughton home was destroyed in a large fire fueled by exploding oxygen tanks that drew fire crews from multiple surrounding towns on Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The 4-alarm fire broke out in a home on Central Street as Stoughton firefighters were handling another fire on Wheeler Circle, the Stoughton Fire Department said in a Facebook post shortly before 3 p.m.

Oxygen tanks exploded inside the Central Street home during the fire, but no injuries to residents or firefighters were reported, Stoughton Deputy Fire Chief James Brackett told reporters, according to video from WCVB.

Advertisement



“It was astounding how fast this fire moved,” Brackett said. “I can only say it was probably from those oxygen tanks cooking off and fueling the intensity of that fire, but otherwise I can’t determine what the cause of it was.”

Two adults and two teenagers were living in the home, Brackett said. The oxygen tanks were from a previous owner, he said.

Images posted on the fire department’s Facebook page showed the single-story home consumed by flames with black smoke blowing into the air.

Brackett said firefighters encountered “heavy fire conditions” upon arrival and “the decision was made to go defensive” to prevent the fire from spreading to other homes.

Crews were also met with water supply problems.

“The hydrants in the area weren’t adequate for what we needed,” he said. “We were able to overcome that pretty much with brute manpower.”

The home’s electrical service fell onto a vehicle parked in the driveway, causing it to catch fire, Brackett said. Firefighters had to wait until National Grid workers arrived to secure the electrical fire and put out the flames on the car.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office, said Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the Department of Fire Services.

Advertisement



Firefighters from Dedham, Braintree, Westwood, Foxborough, Easton, Randolph, Holbrook, Canton, Sharon, and Avon responded to help Stoughton crews battle the fires, the Stoughton Fire Department said.


Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.