UPDATE: Vacuum Truck Heads To Norwood Hospital Site After Morning Fire

NORWOOD, MA - A vacuum truck from the demolition company working to dismantle the Norwood Hospital building is expected to arrive at the site by 3 p.m. to remove oil that had spilled when an excavator caught fire Monday morning.

An excavator at the demolition site of Norwood Hospital caught fire at about 11:30 morning Monday, according to Norwood's fire chief.

"It started probably an hour ago," Hayes told Patch at 12:30 p.m. He also texted pictures of the site at that time, showing that the fire had been extinguished.

Michael Costello, a spokesperson from Costello Dismantling in West Wareham, Massachusetts, said there were no injuries reported regarding the incident.

"A vac truck is on its way to remove the oil that leaked from the excavator," he explained to Patch during a 2 p.m. phone interview. "We estimate that it will be there within the hour."

He added that the fire was contained quickly.

Demolition work at the hospital began last month, and large piles of debris are visible on the site. The current building is being taken down in order to make room for work to begin on the new, state-of-the-art facility, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

A news broadcast confirmed that the bulk of the fire had been contained to the excavator without it spreading to the remaining structure or the surrounding piles of debris.

The hospital was severely damaged and was shut down after a torrential rain storm flooded it two years ago on June 28, 2020. More than 4 inches of water fell in about 90 minutes. Several feet rapidly pooled in the sites low-lying areas, including the parking lots. Water gushed into the building, forcing an evacuation and leading to electrical damage and mold.

At the time of the flood, surveillance footage from inside showed the hospital doors buckling under the pressure, with water pouring into boxes and furniture.

There had been a legal dispute in federal court between the hospital's parent company, Steward Health Company, and its insurance company last winter. But the project has been able to move forward. Gov. Charlie Baker attended a groundbreaking ceremony last November.

A conceptual design was unveiled at a March Planning Board Meeting. Since then, the Planning Board has raised issues about the new building's height and storm water management system plans.

The Planning Board was scheduled to discuss the plans for the new Norwood Hospital building this evening at 7 p.m., but a request had previously been received to continue the hearing until next Monday, July 25.