A Brockton firefighter was injured when he was struck by falling debris while battling a blaze at a multi-level home in Brockton on Monday.
The piece of fascia near the peak of the roof that crews had been spraying with a straight stream broke loose from the home and fell, hitting the firefighter in the head, Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli told Boston 25.
The firefighter suffered “minor muscular skeletal injuries” and remained at a local hospital as of early Monday afternoon.
Residents in the area saw smoke and searched to discover its origin which turned out to be a triple-decker behind a restaurant. A barber and a police officer helped residents evacuate the building.
Firefighters found fire from the second floor and spreading. “A lot of heavy fire on the porch got into the second floor ceilings, into the knee wall of the third floor and into the attic,” Nardelli said.
Video captured by a Boston 25 News photographer showed the moment the wooden board struck the firefighter, causing him to collapse to the ground. His colleagues quickly rushed to his side to help.
Firefighters said the building's sprinkler and smoke alarms had activated.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
