One injured in North Attleboro house fire, neighbors describe ‘nerve-wracking’ experience

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WLNE) — A middle-aged man was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with critical injuries after a two-alarm house fire broke out on Diamond Street in North Attleboro.

Fire Chief Chris Coleman said crews arrived around 10 a.m. to heavy smoke blanketing the entire neighborhood and heavy fire coming from all sides of the house.

Coleman said the homeowner was taken to the hospital with burns and lacerations.

Two neighbors driving by pulled over to help when they saw the flames.

Kelli Dawley and Kelly Spencer alerted the sleeping homeowner to come outside.

“We were yelling and screaming at him to see if anyone was in the house,” Dawley said. “And he finally came out.”

“He didn’t have any clothes on but he tried to get back in through one of the windows,” Dawley continued. “And when he cracked the window he ended up cutting his wrists pretty deep through here, so he’s at the hospital.”

Spencer lives around the corner and said it was a frightening experience, but they just wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

“Coming to a house engulfed in flames, it was nerve wracking,” Spencer said. “But I just put that to the side…Having someone else there helped make it a little easier.”

Officials said wind coming off Falls Pond impacted fire conditions.

“Due to heavy fire,” Coleman explained. “We bring the State Police in to assist our FIU members with the investigation.”

The fire was put out by 12:30 p.m., but the home is uninhabitable at this time.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but according to a preliminary investigation, it does not appear suspicious and may have been due to the home’s electrical wiring.