North End Fire On Christmas Morning Causes $4 Million In Damages
BOSTON (CBS) – A five-alarm fire in the North End Christmas morning did not cause any civilian injuries but did result in millions of dollars' worth of damage.
Firefighters responded to a four-story apartment building at 52 Hull St. at about 4:15 a.m. All residents of the building were out of town at the time of the blaze.
"I was just asleep and about 4 o'clock this morning I heard an explosion." neighbor Ed Rossi said. "I saw smoke, I saw flames, people running up and down the street, just people screaming, 'get out of the house, get out of the house.'"
Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries and released.
There are concerns that people living in adjacent buildings could be displaced because of the damage.
"Took probably about a good hour and a half to get the fire under control. The fire eventually worked its way up and eventually collapsed through the roof," Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
WBZ's Mike LaCrosse reports that passing motorists on Interstate 93 saw the fire and called 911.
Rossi lives two doors down from the fire. He, along with 12 others, was forced from his home as a precaution.
"Luckily I have a brother that I'm staying with until I can figure out when it's safe to go back into the house," Rossi said.
A spokesman for the Boston Fire Department estimated damage at $4 million.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal reports:
