At least one person is dead and several others injured after a six-alarm fire erupted in a multifamily building in east Boston on Tuesday.
Dozens of firefighters from multiple locations responded after the fire was reported at the intersection of West Eagle and Meridian streets at around 5 a.m. Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke told reporters the blaze spread from the housing unit to two neighboring structures. He said five people were rescued over aerial ladders, but one tragically died in the fire.
"Firefighters had to be rotated in and out because they were overheated and working so hard," Burke said at a news conference. "It was a tough fire. They couldn’t get a hold of it. Not for not trying, it’s just the quarters... The heat and smoke were so bad."
A child was hospitalized among others injured, Burke said. The extent of their injuries is unknown. The person who died has not been identified.
"My wife jumped out of bed, and I heard what sounded like glass shattering somewhere," one resident told local station 7News. "She looked out the window and saw people running around screaming. Then our second floor neighbor came knocking and said, ‘there’s a fire, there’s a fire!'"
"We were all just getting out of bed and running," the resident's son added. "We ran outside, and yeah, it was scary."
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the death of one resident is "incredibly heartbreaking."
"We will do whatever we can to make sure we are supporting all of those who were displaced and those who will need some time recovering in the hospital," Wu said. "This is a very, very difficult situation."
The mayor thanked first responders and credited them with preventing additional loss of life.
"I want to thank all of our first responders," Wu said. "Our firefighters themselves were at great risk. We saw several residents rescued over ladders from the top floor windows."
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Firefighters worked for hours to put out the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings. Boston Fire Department officials said the close proximity of houses caused the fire to jump from one building to the house next door and another building in the rear.
"East Boston is always difficult. Lot of people in it. It was going pretty good when they got here," Burke said. "These guys were fast. They worked really hard getting people out before help arrived. This is an island basically and everyone is coming through the tunnels, Chelsea here. It’s tough to get people here."
Photos and video posted on social media showed firefighters and trucks combating the flames. Officials said at least 30 residents were displaced and damages are estimated at $5 million.
Burke said investigators will remain on the scene for "a long time" as they work to determine how the fire started.
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One firefighter at the scene suffered a minor knee injury, Burke said. He is expected to recover.
"I was here early on. This thing was going pretty good. I can’t believe nobody else got hurt," Burke said.
Fire department detail companies will remain at the scene to monitor any hot spots, officials said.
The Boston Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the cause of the fire.
