Vacuum Truck Heads To Norwood Hospital Site After Morning Fire-July 18, 2022

A vacuum truck is expected to arrive by 3 p.m. to clean up an oil spill following a fire involving an excavator on Monday morning.

The vacuum truck, dispatched by the demolition company working on the Norwood Hospital site, will remove the spilled oil after the excavator caught fire around 11:30 a.m., according to Norwood’s fire chief.

“It started probably an hour ago,” Fire Chief Hayes told Patch at 12:30 p.m., sharing photos of the extinguished fire.

Michael Costello, a spokesperson for Costello Dismantling in West Wareham, Massachusetts, confirmed that there were no injuries from the incident.

“A vac truck is on its way to remove the oil that leaked from the excavator,” Costello said during a 2 p.m. phone interview. “We estimate that it will be there within the hour.” He added that the fire was contained quickly.

Demolition work at the hospital began last month, with large piles of debris visible on the site. The current building is being dismantled to make way for a new, state-of-the-art facility expected to be completed in 2024.

News reports confirmed that the fire was largely confined to the excavator, preventing it from spreading to the remaining structure or surrounding debris.

Norwood Hospital was severely damaged and shut down after a torrential rainstorm on June 28, 2020, when it was flooded by more than 4 inches of water in about 90 minutes. The rapid flooding caused extensive damage, including electrical issues and mold, leading to an evacuation.

Surveillance footage from the time of the flood showed hospital doors buckling under the pressure of the water, which poured into the building, damaging boxes and furniture.

A legal dispute in federal court last winter between the hospital’s parent company, Steward Health Company, and its insurance company initially delayed the project, but it has since moved forward. Gov. Charlie Baker attended a groundbreaking ceremony last November.

A conceptual design for the new facility was unveiled at a March Planning Board Meeting, where issues were raised about the building’s height and stormwater management plans. The Planning Board was scheduled to discuss the new Norwood Hospital building plans this evening at 7 p.m., but the hearing has been postponed to next Monday, July 25.