READING, MASS. (WHDH) - Police said that over 60 residents were relocated after a pipe burst at an assisted living facility in Reading.
According to officials, the burst pipe caused damage to an electrical panel with in a wing of The Residence at Pearl Street setting of the fire alarm. Firefighters had to shut off the power and water to the wing of the facility forcing the residents to evacuate.
The evacuated residents were picked up by family members, transported to hotels with staff, and relocated to other assisted living facilities where they will remain until the necessary repairs are made.
Due to the age and health of the residents the evacuation took hours.
“It was stressful,” said 100-year-old facility resident Jean Bates.
Bates and her 101-year-old husband were picked up by her daughter-in-law.
“We had the comfort dogs come down earlier and sat with the residents as we got them ready to move out and hung out with them. They played with the dogs for a while to relax the mood and take the tension down,” said Reading Police Chief David Clark.
Officials said that roughly half of the evacuees are in the memory care unit and were brought to a nearby hotel with staff members.
According to authorities, it will likely be two to three days until the residents are able to return to the facility needing to let the electrical panels dry out before repairs are made.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)