More than 100 residents were evacuated from the Webster Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Rockland, Massachusetts, after a fire occurred yesterday afternoon. According to WCVB, Rockland Fire Chief Scott Duffey said the fire began at about 4 p.m., and the full evacuation was completed in roughly 40 minutes.
The fire, which was controlled by the building’s sprinkler system, led to a large emergency response involving an estimated 60 to 70 ambulances and support from about 11 agencies, as reported by NBC Boston.
All 102 patients were evacuated without any reported injuries to patients, staff, or firefighters, according to Chief Duffey. The fire, which produced heavy smoke, occurred on the third floor near a nurses’ station, and its cause remains under investigation. Many individuals, including those on the third floor, needed to be carried or assisted down the stairs during the evacuation. Duffey stated to WCVB that while the full extent of smoke and water damage has yet to be determined, the facility will remain closed for an unspecified period.
The Rockland Fire Department was assisted by neighboring departments, including those from Brockton and Hanover, along with a rehabilitation unit from the Department of Fire Services. The scale of the response was similar to that of a fire in Fall River several months earlier, in which 10 people died at the Gabriel House assisted living home. Duffey told NBC Boston that residents in such facilities constitute a vulnerable population.
Kerri Trask, whose mother was among those evacuated, expressed relief and appreciation for the first responders, stating, “Very thankful. Very thankful,” in an interview with NBC Boston.
