New Bedford Firefighters Battle Blaze at Vacant Home

NEW BEDFORD — For hours on Wednesday evening, New Bedford firefighters fought flames that collapsed the roof and caused other damage at a reportedly vacant Hemlock Street home.

According to a post from the New Bedford Fire Department, calls reporting a structure fire at a 296 Hemlock St. house came through just after 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Crews arrived to find heavy fire on the second floor of the two and a half story home, which neighbors said was vacant.

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The Engine 6 crew entered through a side door to find a large blaze in the stairwell, while Ladder 3 firefighters searched the first floor, the department stated.

Meanwhile Engine 7 crews tried to search the second floor via an obstructed front staircase.

Firefighters were evacuated after the flames broke through the roof, which partially collapsed into the structure.

According to the department, the roof collapse made it "extremely difficult to get at pockets of fire" hidden in the new void spaces created in the collapse.

Members of the department were at the scene for more than two hours working to fully extinguish the blaze.

The department noted that the fire is currently under investigation with the New Bedford Fire Investigation Bureau.