Fire In Gladstone Garage Sends One to Hospital

A garage on Gladstone Street went up into flames on Sunday evening, sending the homeowner to the hospital with bad burns and causing extensive damage to the home's garage.

The responded to 17 Gladstone Street at 5:22 p.m. on Sunday, August 7 for a report of a working fire at the residence.

The incident is still under investigation, but Acting Fire Chief Joseph Riley said the cause of the fire was accidental; the homeowner was working on a motorcycle in the garage when an electical cord lighted some gasoline.

"The fire was confined to that area, but the rest of the house experienced some smoke damage," he said.

The owner of the home was transported to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital for bad burns on his arms and was later transported to a hospital in Boston for further care.

There was one other person in the home at the time - the victim's son, who was on the second floor of the home, heard the smoke detectors sounding, and was able to escape unhurt.

 Two engines from Wakefield responded, under the direction of Captain Richard Smith and Lieutenant Kevin Carney. Engines from Stoneham and Reading also provided mutual aid.

The fire took about an hour and a half to extinguish. Firefighters put out flames in the garage and basement, and checked for extension on the upper floors.

"The damage was mostly to the garage area, there was no extension in the house," said Acting Chief Riley.