'If You See a Fire, Maybe Call 9-1-1...' Medfield, MA, Homeowner Says After Amazon Driver Didn't
An Amazon driver walked through the smoke at a Medfield house Saturday to deliver a package.
Though she paused briefly in the smoke to look back, she never called 9-1-1.
The fire burned for three-and-a-half hours before it was noticed by a passerby who made the call, WCVB reported.
Surveillance video from the home shows an Amazon driver arriving 20 minutes after the first signs of smoke. She opened the garage, walked through the smoke, placed the package and then left without alerting 9-1-1.
"It's a little disturbing to know this could have been prevented. If you see a fire, maybe call 911 or the fire department before you go on to your next delivery," Peter McArdle said.
Firefighters from 10 departments were on the scene for four hours battling the fire that caused extensive damage.
McArdle wasn't expecting the response he got from Amazon when he called to make them aware.
"The customer service lady said: 'I spoke to two managers, and they're not willing to take your call because it wasn't their fault with the fire.' Again, it wasn't to place blame. Tt was really more of an educational piece. Like, 'Hey maybe you can use this information to teach your drivers a little bit better, if you see something, say something, especially a fire,'"
Upon hearing about the conversation with McArdle, Amazon officials released a statement: "We’re attempting to reach out to the customer to apologize for their initial interaction with our Customer Service team. We encourage drivers to report suspicious activity, and are looking into this incident."
