Boston firefighters battled a five-alarm fire that sparked Tuesday morning at a two-family home on Perrin Street in Roxbury, where one resident was rushed to the hospital for burn injuries.
Nine people, including three children, escaped the flames and were displaced from the home. At least one resident was rushed to a local hospital by Boston EMS after suffering burns to the hands and arms, fire officials said.
“We’re trying to recover from this,” said Charlotte James, a relative. “Yes, there is loss. But the important thing is there is no loss of life. As long as the family is together, we’ll survive this. We have faith in God. We’ll pull through.”
The fire broke out at about 9 a.m., and firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames on the second and third floors of the 2-1/2 story home, according to Boston fire Commissioner Joe Finn.
Firefighters battled difficult conditions with temperatures reaching only 25 degrees. The fire was already ahead of the firefighters by the time they arrived on scene and it burned its way to the attic, into void spaces making it all the more difficult to contain.
“Very difficult conditions, icing and so on,” Finn told reporters outside the burning building. “Now, it is just the weather.
“The fire itself was very difficult,” he added. “It went into the void spaces and into spaces in the attic that made access for us very difficult.” The fire department struck a fifth alarm to protect the senior housing complex next door.
The home is a total loss with $750,000 estimated in damage.
The fire is still under investigation, but it looks to have started on the second floor, Finn said.
“This is horrible,” said Inez Cooks, 66, a neighbor and family friend. “I know the family. We all stick together around here.”
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