A fire that broke out just after 10 p.m. Wednesday at 26 Rodman Street in Fall River grew into a 3rd-alarm emergency, spreading to two neighboring buildings before crews got it under control. One firefighter suffered an injury.
Fall River Fire Department District Chief Sean Flannery said initial crews arriving at the scene were met with heavy fire at the rear of 26 Rodman Street, which sits near the intersection with South Main Street, according to the Fall River Reporter. The fire spread through the structure and extended into two adjacent commercial buildings, escalating what began as a single-building call into a multi-structure emergency that kept crews on scene for hours overnight, as first reported by Boston 25 News.
Barber Shop Among Businesses in Affected Building
A barber shop was among several businesses in the affected commercial building, Boston 25 News reported. Officials have not released the extent of the damage or said when any of the businesses might be able to reopen.
The fire escalated to a 3rd-alarm response.
Firefighter Treated at Scene, No Civilian Injuries Reported
District Chief Flannery confirmed that one firefighter suffered a laceration while battling the blaze and was treated at the scene without needing to be taken to a hospital, the Fall River Reporter reported. Boston 25 News reported that there had been no reports of injuries. An investigation into the cause remains ongoing, and fire officials have not released details on structural stability or the total financial toll to the businesses along Rodman and South Main streets.
A Block With a Complicated Recent Past
The fire hit a stretch of South Main Street already tangled in municipal disputes. The building at 308 South Main Street, adjacent to the fire scene, has been caught up in a long-running city tax foreclosure tied to nearly $600,000 in unpaid property taxes, fees, and penalties owed by a former owner, the Fall River Reporter reported in an earlier report on downtown revitalization efforts.
The 1928 Great Fall River Fire destroyed a large portion of Fall River's business district.
Building Safety Scrutiny
Massachusetts law requires local fire departments to file formal reports with the Office of the State Fire Marshal for any fire causing property loss or injury, logging the incident in the statewide Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System, per the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. The Fall River Fire Department operates six engine companies and three ladder companies out of six stations covering a city of more than 90,000 residents across 38 square miles, according to Northeast Firenews.
Hoodline's coverage of a survivor's negligence lawsuit following the Gabriel House fire, which killed 10 people, discussed alleged safety failures.
