BOSTON – Five multi-family homes were damaged by fire on Holiday Street in Dorchester on Monday afternoon. One of the buildings is a total loss, according to the fire service.
Everyone was able to leave the buildings safely and at 5 p.m. the heavy fire was extinguished. Thirty-five residents have been displaced.
A woman says her dog woke her up when her apartment caught fire. She says there was thick smoke and she was terrified.
“I was sleeping and my dog started barking really crazy,” said the woman. “The kitchen window just started to pop and the flames shot everywhere. I just grabbed her and ran out the door.”
CBS Boston
As the thick smoke filled the air, Good Samaritans like Mac Brown ran into danger and banged on doors to save his neighbors.
“We all ran to the door trying to kick the doors open,” said Mac Brown. “We got a door open and screamed and screamed, but we couldn’t get in.”
Firefighters say the blaze quickly spread from one building to another as several back porches collapsed in the process.
The intense fire sent one firefighter to the hospital for an examination. Fortunately, rescuers say the wind was on their side, which helped them get the blaze under control more quickly.
“Thank God there wasn’t much wind today, because the total fire ended up damaging five buildings and we have more than 35 people displaced. The crews did a great job,” said Rodney Marshall, Chief of Operations for the Boston Fire Department.
As evacuated families waited on the streets to come to terms with the situation, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stopped by the neighborhood to offer her support.
“Just to talk to the families and feel the sense of devastation and shock,” Mayor Wu said.
Even though families have lost their belongings, they are all thankful that no one lost their lives. “In a split second it could have been tragic, but God knew better and it didn’t,” said Mac Brown.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
WBZ news staff
