Fire Rips Through Two-Family Home on Charles Street

Eight people are homeless after a two-alarm fire ripped through a Charles Street home Friday night.

Firefighters were called to the scene at about 8:15 p.m. Friday, according to Malden Police Sergeant Stephen Noble. Engine Three and Ladder Three rushed to the scene and helped to evacuate the two apartments, then called for a second alarm.

Two adults from the first floor, and two adults and four children from the second floor all made it safety out of the building.

"A resident told us it started with a dropped candle," said Patrolman Salvatore Gennetti. He said the family had taken refuge in a neighbor's home after escaping the fire.

"The first responding teams did a great job getting everyone out safely," said Deputy Chief Thomas Walsh. "Then they knocked the fire down."

Walsh confirmed that early indications point to an overturned candle as the start of the blaze, but the department will continue its investigation.

A Malden firefighter from Engine One twisted his ankle while at the scene. The EMTs at the scene took him to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital as a precaution. Fire officials declined to identify the injured Jake.

The crowd assembled outside the Charles Street home could see two ladder trucks reaching up into the second and third floors of the two-family house. Firefighters inside were ripping into walls and putting out hot spots. The house, located at 390 Charles Street, is a block away from Mystic Valley Regional Charter School's High School building.

In all, firefighters from Malden, Medford, Melrose, Revere and Everett assisted at the scene. Other teams from Everett, Stoneham and Revere covered Malden's stations while all city apparatus worked at the fire, said Walsh.