Brockton teen injured in fire has been released from hospital. Here's how the fire started

BROCKTON — The teenager who was the most severely injured when a fire tore through the second and third floors and attic space of a Central Square multifamily home Sunday night has been released from the hospital, Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli said.

Despite previous reports of the teenager having been in "critical condition," Nardelli said the teen had been in a "more severe state" than the other six people — including five other teenagers — who were rescued from the building, but that none of the six had been in critical condition.

Just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, firefighters responded to heavy fire at 25 Central Square, where "five teenagers were hanging out of the windows on one side of the building," he said.

All of the residents of the home were evacuated and transported to Good Samaritan Medical Center, according to Nardelli.

"The fire was under control in about 30 minutes, but firefighters did spend some time chasing any remaining hot spots within the structure of the building," Nardelli said.

The building is now unlivable, according to the chief.

"The residents were taken into care by Red Cross," he said. "This was a great operation. There was no loss of life, and our firefighters did everything they were assigned to do."

"We work on this all the time. We drill all the time. We train all the time."

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Cause of fire determined to be a candle

The origin and cause of the fire were investigated by the Brockton Fire Department, the Brockton Police Department’s Fire Investigation Unit and State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office.

They jointly determined that the fire began in a bedroom near the right rear corner of the second floor, and that it was caused by a candle that ignited flammable items on a bedside table, according to a written statement Tuesday.

“This fire had every potential to be a terrible tragedy, and I want to recognize the outstanding work of Brockton firefighters in rescuing residents from the danger,” Nardelli said in the written statement.

“If you use candles at home, please remember to keep anything that can burn at least a foot away on all sides. Always place them on a sturdy, nonflammable saucer or candleholder. And never leave a burning candle unattended —– always blow it out before you leave the room or go to sleep,” Nardelli said.

Candles cause about 100 fires each year in Massachusetts, State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said in the written statement.

“Almost all of them take place in people’s homes, and almost all of them can be prevented by using extra caution. Even better, try battery-powered alternatives, like flashlights for emergencies and flameless candles for decoration and celebration. They’re much safer than an open flame,” Ostroskey said.

Staff writer Namu Sampath can be reached at nsampath@enterprisenews.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @namusampath. Thank you, subscribers. You make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Brockton Enterprise.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Central Square house fire: Teen released from hospital