REVERE, MASS. (WHDH) - A man was killed inside his Revere home Wednesday when a faulty boiler in the basement exploded.
Relatives of 50-year-old Reyes Bertrand said the boiler had been acting up inside his house on Revere Beach Parkway. Just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, Bertrand went downstairs to shut the boiler off when it exploded, killing him.
Firefighters said the explosion brought some walls down and debris was strewn everywhere, making it difficult for them to get inside. Officials said the explosion appeared to have stemmed from a pressure issue with the furnace, not a fuel issue. Revere Fire Chief Christopher Bright said explosions from oil burners are extremely rare.
Eleven people were inside the two-family house at the time of the explosion but no one else was injured. Firefighters said the explosion compromised the house’s heat, plumbing and electrical systems, meaning no one can stay in the house.
Family friend Jose Urias said Bertrand was a great person and great father who loved his family and going fishing. He came to the United States from Honduras and Urias said he only purchased the house a year ago and was working hard on remodeling it.
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