Haverhill Firefighter Shocked By Live Wires, Sent To Hospital
HAVERHILL (CBS) – A Haverhill firefighter was sent to the hospital Thursday after being shocked by live wires while responding to a fire.
The fire happened Thursday morning at 29 State Street, and was the result of an unfortunate chain of events. Wednesday night's wild wind storm knocked over a massive tree branch in the front yard, which took down several power lines and sparked an electrical fire inside the home. The homeowners called 911 and when firefighters responded, a lieutenant was shocked by the live wires.
"National Grid was notified but they were obviously very busy," said Deputy Chief Douglas Brown. "So we transported him. He got shocked pretty good. He got knocked to the ground."
The firefighter was brought to Lawrence General, where he was treated for several hours before being released Thursday afternoon.
"This tree has been on our mind for a while," homeowner Vincent Lozzi told WBZ. "We were told by a few tree services that it was dead and needed to be removed."
In addition to an injured firefighter, the Haverhill Fire Department faced an additional challenge. The power went out at the Water Street station, which does not have a generator. The firefighters' union is calling on the city to install a generator.