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Wrong-City Oil Delivery Pumps 385 Gallons Into Medford Basement, Forcing Evacuation

State environmental officials are leading the cleanup with the home still deemed unsafe.

Overview

  • Medford fire officials say a driver delivered heating oil to 48 Linwood Street in Medford instead of the intended 48 Linwood Street in Malden.
  • About 383–385 gallons were pumped through an old exterior fill pipe into a basement that no longer had an oil tank.
  • Deputy Chief Nicholas Davis noted there was no tank “whistle” to cue shutdown, and hazmat crews deployed absorbents and booms to contain the spill.
  • The Massachusetts DEP and a building inspector are investigating, six residents are displaced with Red Cross assistance, and no injuries were reported.
  • The delivery company, identified in reports as Fawcett/Fawcet, has not provided substantive comment, and officials have not given a cleanup timeline.