Fire Destroys Apartment Building Near Northeastern University

BOSTON (CBS) – About 10 residents and one firefighter were sent to the hospital after a large fire broke out at a 5-story apartment building in Boston's Fenway neighborhood.

The residents suffered from smoke inhalation, fire officials said. The firefighter suffered a laceration injury. Their conditions were not known.

The fire broke out at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on Hemenway Street. The apartment building is located near Northeastern University.

"It's terrifying," said Jonah Webb, a student at Northeastern. "It's the time of the year where a lot of the heaters are being turned on in apartments and residence halls around here, and this is the biggest fear."

The apartment building houses 70 residents, many of them college students who attend Northeastern University and other city colleges.

The fire started in the second floor and quickly spread to other parts of the building, said Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn.

"The roof has collapsed into the top floor. which is making it difficult for us right now, because we can't access the body of fire we're trying to access," Finn said at the scene.

The weather did not help. Strong winds help fan the flames. Firefighters were up in ladders to fight the fire.

Northeastern University Police urged people to avoid the area.

Displaced students were seen outside the building for hours as firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. They heard windows shatter and people screaming for help from the top of the building.

"The windows had broken out and there was smoke that was starting to come out of the building. And then I heard people screaming from the top floor," said witness Adam Petricca.

The privately-owned building is a complete loss, with millions of dollars in damages. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Check back for CBSBoston.com for more details on this breaking news story as they become available.