MANSFIELD – Two firefighters who were injured in a Sunday morning fire have been released from the hospital, Mansfield Assistant Fire Chief Jim Bishop said Monday morning.
The two firefighters sustained respiratory injuries when responding to a double-house fire at the corner of South Main Street and Florence Avenue at about 9:21 a.m.
Arson was listed as a possible crime associated with the fire, according to the Mansfield Police Department’s incident report. However, the cause of the fire is later listed as unknown and the fire is still under investigation. Monday, investigators reported that they hadn’t immediately noticed “anything that stands out as arson.”
The fire appeared to begin at the rear of 300 S. Main St. in a carport, according to Bishop. The fire department responded, but before they arrived, the fire spread to the vacant house next door, 298/296 S. Main Street.
One of the at least eight residents from 300 S. Main St. said, “he was sleeping inside when he smelled smoke and woke up,” according to the Mansfield Police Department’s report. At that time, he “saw flames shooting up towards the back of the residence.”
The report lists eight occupants, ranging from age 23 to 63, who escaped the residence unharmed before the fire department arrived. Bishop had estimated 10 to 13 people residents. These people have been connected to the American Red Cross and placed in hotels, he said.
The Mansfield Fire Department spent about four hours on the scene.
“We had all city units there, all 19 firefighters on scene,” Bishop said.
Bishop said, both houses were “substantially damaged” and that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if they were demolished.
