Newton firefighter hurt after falling through floor

By David Abel, Globe Staff

NEWTON -- A firefighter suffered minor burns and injured his shoulder when he fell through the floor of a million-dollar home engulfed in a two-alarm blaze, a fire official said.

The firefighter, who also had elevated carbon monoxide levels, was held overnight at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is expected to recover, said Assistant Chief Bruce Proia of the Newton Fire Department. Firefighters responded to the blaze on Nobscot Road at 11:08 p.m. and found the white, clapboard home in flames.

The five-bedroom home was under renovation and unoccupied last night. The fire appears to have been caused by an electric meter in the basement and is not considered suspicious, Proia said. A second firefighter twisted his ankle while fighting the blaze. He was treated at the scene.

This morning nearly all the windows facing the street were smashed. The front of the house was charred along a utility pole that runs from the basement to the roof and connects to utility lines from the street. Fire officials said they are still determining the amount of damage of the blaze, which remains under investigation.

The 3,400-square-foot home has two fireplaces and is listed for sale for $1.35 million. It is described on the MLS Real Estate website as a "dream home" that is "luxuriously appointed" with a kitchen that includes soapstone countertops, state-of-the-art appliances, and a "vaulted, luxurious master bath in an elegant master suit."

The house has been on the market since May 28 and was last assessed for $872,000. It was originally put on the market for $1.5 million.

Debbie Moll, a next-door neighbor, said she called NSTAR last night when one of the lights to her home began to flicker about 9:30 p.m. Shortly afterward, she began to smell smoke. Moll said the couple who renovated the home never lived there.

"It was very close, very scary," Moll said. "As soon as we smelled the smoke, the fire department was here."