An Atlantic City firefighter was injured fighting a blaze at a boarded up home just after midnight Monday.
The fire at 504 N. Indiana Ave. was first reported at 12:09 a.m. smoke in the neighborhood, Fire Chief Scott Evans said.
The two-story wood-frame home had been boarded up and was recently being used by homeless people, whose shouts alerted the neighbor who called the fire in, Evans said.
Because the home was so well boarded up, it kept neighbors from noticing it at first - and delayed responding firefighters trying to get inside.
“The fire had time to grow and advance before firefighters got there,” Evans said. “Also, because it was boarded up really well, there was a delay in gaining access.”
But Engine 2 made an aggressive attack to contain the fire while Engine 3 set up an exposure line to keep it from spreading next door.
Firefighter Frank Walsh, a 10-year veteran of the department, suffered minor burns to his shoulder and arm, Evans said. He was hospitalized.
Most of the fire damage was limited to the first floor, with smoke damage throughout the house, Evans said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
