Fire Rips Through Dorchester Homes, Leaving 1 Hurt, 29 Homeless: Reports

BOSTON, MA — One person was injured and 29 people were left homeless by a six-alarm fire that ripped through two, three-family homes in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood on Saturday afternoon, according to reports.

Heavy flames were found in the rear of a home on Ellington Street just after 4 p.m., then the fire quickly spread to the neighboring home within less than 10 minutes, resulting in the Boston Fire Chief Paul Burke calling out a sixth alarm, the department said in a social media post.

The flames had been knocked down by about 4:30 p.m. but there was "major damage" to the two homes and fire companies continued their overhaul.

Burke told WCVB said one resident was taken to an area hospital by Boston Emergency Medical Services.

He told The Boston Herald that the fire was "a chaotic scene for a long time."

“The heavy fire was difficult to knock down," he said.

The Red Cross of Massachusetts is helping the displaced residents from the homes find housing for the night, while The Salvation Army said one of its Emergency Disaster Services teams will help residents and first responders, according to WCVB.

Mayor Michelle Wu called the fire “devastating” to see destruction on a Thanksgiving weekend, The Boston Herald reported.

“We are going to stay with these families and make sure that we can do everything possible,” she told the outlet at the scene. “I spoke with neighbors who live even further down the street who said that several houses down, their smoke alarms went off and the first thing they did was to come outside and then run in to see if they can help.”