Massive Fire Burns For Hours In Brighton Commercial Building, Filling Air With Heavy, Black Smoke
BOSTON (CBS) – A Boston firefighter was hurt as a huge fire tore through a commercial building in Brighton early Friday morning.
It started around 4:30 a.m. and spread to multiple floors of the complex on Corey Road that has several businesses inside.
A woman who lives across the street said she spotted the fire and called 911. "Saw flames coming out of the garage door and then they started exploding," She told WBZ-TV. "It was scary. I watched my husband's office go up in flames."
She also said the building owner has an apartment there. "He evidently got out himself through a window."
All firefighters were eventually ordered out of the building as flames tore through the roof and burned for several hours.
"We're unsure what's actually in there. We're not going to put firefighters lives at risk for car parts or whatever," Boston Fire Chief Jack Dempsey told reporters.
The fire department ordered an eighth alarm as the neighborhood filled with heavy black smoke that was spread by the wind. The air quality became so bad that the Driscoll School in nearby Brookline was closed for the day.
"The wind has been keeping the smoke blowing all over and makes it a little more difficult to see and to breathe," Dempsey said.
The department launched a drone to get a bird's eye view of the fire's hot spots. It's their first time using this technology.
"It's a very effective tool for us to use equipment around and zero in on parts of the building," said Dempsey.
The firefighter's injuries are minor. No one else was hurt.
Mayor Michelle Wu also responded to the scene. She's grateful for the firefighters and pledged to help the businesses impacted.
"In this time in the pandemic we need every bit of community that is possible so we'll look to support their efforts to make sure they can keep going in a different location," Wu said.
There's no word yet on where or how the fire started.
