GARDNER, Mass. — A fire chief was injured while providing mutual aid at a house fire Friday.
CBS Boston reported that firefighters were called a single-family house fire around noon. Fire Chief Richard Ares, 59, was hurt when he fell 6-to-8 feet from a deck onto pavement when a railing failed.
He was conscious and alert at the scene following the fall. He suffered a concussion and back injury. Officials have said his injuries are not life-threatening and he’s in stable condition.
Jim Ares, the fire chief’s son, tweeted that his father has "…Compression fractures in his lumbar spine. Again, he’s stable and doing well.”
An EMT was also treated for smoke inhalation at the fire. Fire officials are investigating the blaze.