Hundreds of gallons of heating oil pumped directly into home after company delivers to wrong address
A Massachusetts family faced a nightmare just days before Thanksgiving when hundreds of gallons of heating oil were accidentally pumped into their basement. The mishap occurred Tuesday after an oil company delivered the fuel to the wrong address.
Fawcett Energy intended to deliver the oil to a home on Linwood Street in Malden, Mass., but instead arrived at a Linwood Street home in Medford, about 10 miles away, CBS News reported.
The Medford home no longer had an oil tank in the basement. Homeowner Dan Nguyen told NBC 10 Boston that the tank had been removed five years ago. His wife and brother-in-law were at home when they noticed a strong odor and went outside to find a delivery driver pumping oil directly into their house.
Medford Fire Department Deputy Chief Nicholas Davis estimated that roughly 385 gallons of oil flooded the basement. “Normally, when you’re filling up an oil tank, you’ll hear a whistle that tells the driver to stop. There’s no whistle because there’s no tank,” Davis explained to WCVB.
Despite the chaotic situation, Nguyen remained understanding. The family had to evacuate due to dangerous fumes, putting their Thanksgiving plans on hold. “Someone made a mistake. Sometimes they put in the wrong address,” Nguyen told CBS News. The family had been planning to host 20 people for the holiday.
Nguyen’s brother, Tien, described the basement as “messed up” and said the family does not know when they will be able to return. For now, the six residents are staying with relatives and receiving assistance from the Red Cross for their salvaged belongings, NBC 10 Boston reported.
Both the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the local building inspector are investigating the incident. The timeline for repairs remains uncertain. Fawcett Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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