Fire Near Porter Square May Have Started on Electric Lines

For an update on this story, click .

Fire officials are investigating whether recent work to electrical lines may have factored into a house fire on Acadia Park in Somerville Saturday evening.

A blaze that started on the outside of the home near an electrical box caused heavy fire, smoke and water damage to the second and third floor units of the three-family home at 9 Arcadia Park, according to fire officials.

NStar worked on the electrical connections to the home within the last week, though as of Saturday night it had not been determined whether that factored into the fire, Cambridge Deputy fire Chief Francis Murphy said.

A resident at the home told fire investigators they saw sparks coming from electrical wires on the outside of the home, Murphy said. Several people displaced by the fire said they did not want to comment.

It took crews about 30 minutes to knock down the fire. All of the residents had already escaped the home unharmed when first responders arrived at about 5:15 p.m., Murphy said.

Located just west of Porter Square, the home is about 50 feet from the city line separating Cambridge and Somerville. Crews from Somerville, Cambridge and Boston all responded.

A Cambridge police cruiser blocked off Somerville Avenue near Porter Square and traffic was routed around the avenue last night.

The American Red Cross was called to the scene to aid those displaced by the fire. An adjacent home was also evacuated as a safety precaution, Murphy said.