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Batteries in Toolbox Caused Dorchester Fire that Led to Firefighter's Death, Officials Say
Investigators said batteries stored in tool boxes ignited the blaze, while federal and department reviews continue into the firefighter’s death.
- On Wednesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall announced that the May 23 fire at 18 Treadway Road in Dorchester, which killed firefighter Robert "Bobby" Kilduff Jr., resulted from "thermal runaway involving multiple lithium-ion batteries stored inside plastic tool boxes."
- Investigators determined the blaze began on a third-floor enclosed porch; Marshall explained that when batteries are stored improperly or overheated, they can "fail rapidly and without warning," entering a chain reaction known as "thermal runaway" that ignites and releases toxic gases.
- Kilduff, a 24-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, died after falling from the third story while fighting the blaze; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the department's Board of Inquiry are conducting parallel investigations into his death.
- State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine reported that battery fires in Massachusetts climbed from fewer than 20 to more than 130 in recent years, while nationally these incidents shot up nearly 400 percent between 2020 and 2023.
- District Fire Chief Keith Kelley urged residents to use certified batteries, charge devices on hard surfaces, and store them at room temperature, warning, "As more and more batteries enter people's households, we're going to have more and more accidents.
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13 Articles
13 Articles
Boston Fire investigation: Lithium-ion batteries caused blaze that killed firefighter Robert ‘Bobby’ Kilduff
Boston Fire officials released the results of the investigation into the fire that led to the death of revered firefighter Robert "Bobby" Kilduff Jr. in May, warning the public of the emerging threat of lithium-ion batteries Wednesday.
·Braintree, United States
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Officials share cause of fire involved in Boston firefighter Bobby Kilduff’s death
Robert “BK” Kilduff Jr. died May 23 while responding to a home fire in Dorchester. The Rescue Company 2 firefighter fell from a third-story window and was critically injured.
·Springfield, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 22%
C 67%
11%
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