Employee Injured in Laboratory Explosion

Needham Fire Department responded to an incident at a Crescent Road business on Wednesday afternoon.

An employee at a laboratory on Crescent Road in Needham was injured Wednesday afternoon when a chemical reaction caused a small explosion in the building. Needham Fire Department was called to Microwave Development Laboratories (MDL), 135 Crescent Rd., for the report of an explosion at around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3. According to the company website, MDL manufactures and assembles components for standard microwaves, such as microwave filters, rotary switches and other parts. The site features a foundry, dip brazing shop and paint shop. When firefighters arrived at the business, they found that the injured employee had already been taken to the hospital by a co-worker and that other employees had managed to put out the flames with a …

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South Street Home in Needham Damaged In Fire

The building was estimated to be a 'total loss' after flames and smoke filled three floors.

A South Street resident and his dogs made it safely out of their home Wednesday afternoon after a fire broke out in the kitchen. The man was cooking in the home's first-floor kitchen at around 2:30 p.m. when the fire broke out. He ran outside to flag down a passing car so he could borrow the driver’s cell phone and call 9-1-1, Needham Fire Deputy Chief Donald Anastasi said. Meanwhile, a neighbor had noticed flames at the window and also called it in. “When we pulled up, the back corner of the kitchen was fully engulfed in flames, extending out the window to the second and third floor,” Anastasi said. “The guys did a good job and put the fire out quickly, but there was extensive damage to the home.” Anastasi estimated the home, located at …

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Two-Alarm Fire Damages Needham Home

The owner was able to make it to safety after flames and smoke broke out in his kitchen Wednesday afternoon.