Fire Destroys New Bedford 6-Family Home
NEW BEDFORD (CBS) - About 30 people will be looking for a new place to live after an early morning fire in New Bedford Thursday.
It began in the basement of the six-family triple-decker home on Ashley Street around 1:30 a.m.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports
Podcast
The flames quickly spread all the way up to the third floor.
"The whole thing, it started in the basement, and it came up through the whole building. Everything got on fire," said Benjamin Gauthier, who lives two buildings away.
Everyone inside escaped safely.
One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation. He is now in good condition, fire officials said.
The cause of the fire is not known yet. The fire chief said commercial oxygen tanks in the basement may be connected.
WBZ-TV's Sera Congi reports.
"We were told that (the tanks) were in there, and that may explain some of the heavy extension that we had on the north side of the building and the rapid acceleration of the fire," said Chief Michael Gomes of the New Bedford Fire Department.
At one point, firefighters had to clear nearby homes because they feared the house would collapse. The burned building is now a total loss.
