By FireRescue1 Staff
MANSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters faced an extreme challenge when a fire broke out at their own station, destroying an engine and gear.
CBS Boston reported that on-duty Mansfield Fire Department firefighters were in the living quarters of the station when something started burning.
“They were up in the living quarters when the smoke detectors went off and the smoke began to fill the second floor,” Fire Chief Neal Boldrighini said.
The firefighters found a fire engine burning and began working to put out the flames, but some of their gear had been destroyed due to the fire.
“Most of them were able to get on the gear, but those who were in the engine, who were assigned to the engine, their gear has been completely destroyed. So they were still fighting the fire in spite of the fact they had no gear on,” Boldrighini said.
Two firefighters were treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation and were released.
Boldrighini said two rescue trucks were also damaged, and the medical supplies inside of them were destroyed.
“There is a significant amount of damage within the station, not only to the station, but to the materials that we use, so the engine itself is absolutely decommissioned at this point, it had significant fire damage,” Boldrighini said.
The chief called the station fire “extremely challenging.”
“When you get the call it does make you step back a bit and your first thought is that, ‘Are the guys okay?’ And that’s really the single biggest thought you have in your head and everything else is secondary,” he said.