A Swampscott condo resident was injured Thursday morning when a fourth-floor unit at The Glen, a four-story condominium complex on Loring Avenue, caught fire. Fire crews pulled one person from the burning apartment and paramedics rushed them to Salem Hospital as neighbors and fellow residents watched from the parking lot. Thick smoke rose above the building while crews knocked down the flames and secured the scene.
The fire was reported shortly before 8 a.m. at The Glen, and arriving crews found heavy smoke and heavy fire on the fourth floor, Swampscott Fire Chief Graham Archer said. One person was pulled from the burning unit and taken to Salem Hospital, and their condition was not immediately known. "The building was fully sprinklered, which helped contain the fire to the single unit," Archer said, as reported by NBC Boston.
Sprinklers Likely Kept Flames From Spreading
Automatic sprinkler systems are widely credited with limiting fire growth in multiunit residential buildings. An NFPA analysis found that when sprinklers were present and functioning, flame damage was confined to the room or object of origin about 86% of the time, compared with roughly 51% without sprinklers, according to NFPA. That likely helped keep damage at The Glen to a single apartment while investigators work to determine the cause.
Officials: Most Residents Expected To Return Today
The State Fire Marshal's Office was reported to be responding to the scene while crews cleaned up and the town helped accommodate displaced residents. Swampscott Fire Chief Graham Archer said he expected most tenants would be able to return later in the day. Those details were reported to local media by town officials and emergency responders, as reported by NBC Boston.
Background: The Glen's Previous Fire
The Glen previously drew attention after a suspicious storage-room blaze in October 2024 that led to an arson charge, according to reporting from The Daily Item. Investigators will examine Thursday's unit as they work to determine what sparked the fire.
