Firefighters from the Brockton Fire Department were called to the scene of a three-alarm blaze on Legion Parkway on Friday, where an abandoned four-story building caught fire. The incident, which escalated rapidly, prompted crews to adopt a defensive strategy as the structure's integrity became compromised, according to a report by the Brockton Fire Department on Facebook.
The fire was reported around 6 p.m. yesterday, Fire Chief Brian F. Nardelli expressed his longstanding concerns about the aging building, citing that a hundred years of wear and environmental factors have taken their toll. "This is an 100-year-old building, at least, right? So as cold and moisture and wet and heat and thaw, it expands, joints, these are built very strongly. But I think over the years we get concerned," Nardelli told Boston 25 News. Concerns were not only for the building's deteriorating condition but also the safety of the fire crews, who were forced to evacuate as the fourth floor began to collapse.
As the fire's severity increased, broaching the third alarm, firefighters were ordered to hold back until additional manpower could arrive to help manage the situation. The building is among many in the Commonwealth that are flagged as potentially hazardous due to their deteriorated state and abandonment.
