Federal Report Faults Boston FD in Firefighter Deaths

Firefighters and emergency medical personnel rush a firefighter from the scene of a multi-alarm fire at a four-story brownstone in the Back Bay neighborhood near the Charles River, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Boston. (AP Photo/Scott Eisen)

BOSTON (AP) — Federal investigators say the Boston Fire Department bears some responsibility for the deaths of two firefighters who died battling a blaze in a brownstone two years ago.

The report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says a lack of training to fight wind-whipped fires, inadequate staffing, and failure to adequately assess risk contributed to the deaths of Lt. Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy in March 2014.

The federal report obtained by The Boston Globe outlined a series of factors that led to the deadly blaze, including uncontrolled ventilation, lack of fire hydrants on a private street, and the absence of a sprinkler system.

The Boston Fire Department says it will comment on the federal report and release its own report on the blaze on Thursday.