Fire blamed on children jumping on mattress

BROCKTON, — Fire officials say a fire the struck two Brockton triple-deckers and left 33 residents homeless was started by children jumping on a bed.

Brockton Fire Lieutenant Edward Williams said Friday that the Thursday night fire was ignited when the children bounced up and down on two mattresses that were against a wall where a cell phone charger was plugged. He said the back-and-forth motion of the mattresses abraded a transformer for a cell phone charger which caused sparks or a short circuit.

Williams said the fire flared up just after 8 p.m. Thursday, causing $150,000 in damages to one building and $50,000 to a nearby apartment building.

Two firefighters suffered puncture wounds and cuts, but neither was hospitalized.

No other injuries were reported.

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