MEDFORD, Mass. — AAn intensive cleanup is underway at a home in Medford after fire officials say hundreds of gallons of home heating oil were dumped into the wrong house.
The multi-family home on Linwood Street was evacuated after the basement became soaked with home heating oil.
The Medford Fire Department said the delivery was meant for the same address on Linwood Street but was supposed to go to a home in the neighboring city of Malden.
The Medford home where 385 gallons of home heating oil were dumped by Fawcet Energy doesn’t have an oil tank.
“I feel terrible. I could cry. Everything is a mess, and it smells,” said Tien Nguyen, who lives on the first floor. “That driver don’t know what he’s doing!.”
The multi-family home where six members of the Nguyen family reside does have an oil fill pipe, but the tank was removed five years ago.
“Normally, when you’re filling up an oil tank and it starts to get full, you’ll hear the whistle, and that keys the driver to shut down the oil. There’s no whistle because there’s no tank,” said Deputy Chief Nicholas Davis with the Medford Fire Department.
Officials said they’re investigating how a Fawcett Energy delivery driver could make such a costly and dangerous mistake.
Boston 25 News reached out to the company for comment and have not yet heard back.
“It’s a sad mistake and that it happened on Thanksgiving week,” said neighbor Lisa Connearney. “I’m sure they’ll get through it, and the company will have to pay for it.”
Crews first worked to contain the oil and removed it from the surface of the basement floor.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is currently conducting a thorough analysis of the hazardous mess.
“We have a party on Thursday. Everything is ready, but I don’t know if we can do it or not,” added Nguyen.
The Nguyen family is currently staying with relatives and doesn’t know when it will be safe to return home.
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