Fire In Revere Engulfs Multiple Homes On Endicott Avenue
REVERE (CBS) - A massive fire spread its way through at least six multi-family homes in Revere Thursday afternoon, engulfing at least two of them.
According to Revere Fire Chief Chris Bright, "at least" 15 families have been impacted by the fire. But no residents, neighbors or firefighters were injured.
"The fire is under control. We're now going to be shutting down the heavy lines and we'll be going in chasing the small pockets and be doing some overhaul," said Bright early Thursday evening. "We'll be here all night."
The multi-alarm fire was first seen at a triple-decker house at 141 Endicott Avenue just after 2 p.m. It later spread next door to the house at 143 Endicott.
"I heard a scream, so I came out the kitchen door," said neighbor Kacey Ryan, who lived only a couple houses away from the triple-decker home. "And then, you could see immediately there was the black smoke. It was amazing."
One woman who first noticed the fire while in one of the affected Endicott Avenue homes pulled the fire alarm.
"All I could smell was smoke," said the woman, who did not want to be identified. "So I looked over and it looked like there was a pile of logs and then like a barbecue on top of it, and then I saw the flames."
Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles.
"The woman that lives on the second floor - she's the one that smelled the smoke, saw the flames, and went and started banging [on residents' doors]," neighbor Joe Salvo said.
Benita Trebecka, a resident in one of the destroyed multi-family homes, told WBZ-TV that she was picking up her daughter from school when the fire started.
"When I left everything was ok," said Trebecka. "When I got here, I found the fire in my apartment."
"We're fine, but I'm worried about my dog," she added. "She's inside."
Along with the dog, Fire Chief Bright said there was also a missing report of a cat. Firefighters used all angles to put out the blaze, including nearby balconies to get as close as possible.
The homes in the area are close together and it didn't take long for the fire to spread. "The fire spread to both adjoining sides and also to the backside, Bellingham Avenue, a total of six buildings involved," Chief Bright said. "And then there was a house that caught, some porches from the flying embers down the street."
While the fire was being put out, neighbors worried about the wind and where it could spread some of the black ashes next.
"Black ash started to fall everywhere," said one neighbor. "So we made sure all the neighbors were ok, washing the houses, make sure it's wet so nothing catches on fire."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
