Crews Battle 5-Alarm Fire on Lagrange Street in West Roxbury

Photo Credit: Boston Fire Department

Boston firefighters battled a five-alarm fire at the former Armstrong Pharmaceuticals building on the corner of Centre and Lagrange streets in West Roxbury Wednesday night.

No injuries were reported at the scene Wednesday night, according to BFD, which added that the known hazards to the building include no sprinkler system and that the building is unsecured. The fire was initially reported around 7:30 p.m.

“This is what we call a posted building,” the Boston Fire Department reported Wednesday night from the scene. “We have identified as hazardous with no interior firefighting allowed.”

The fire had grown from four alarms at 8 p.m. and was upgraded to five alarms about a half hour later, according to CBS Boston. The fire was declared knocked down shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, with a Boston Fire Department detail being set up at the scene along with two fire engines and two ladders to continue checking for hot spots.

It was not immediately known if there were any chemicals present in the building at the time of the fire, but one firefighter told 7News’s Tim Caputo that he believed the building to be empty.

The building has been vacant for several years, and developers have been looking to tear down the building to replace it with apartments, according to Universal Hub. The building was reportedly sold last week, according to MyFoxBoston.com.

Portions of Centre Street were reportedly shut down as crews battle the blaze Wednesday night, while the MBTA’s Needham Commuter Rail Line, which runs through West Roxbury, was delayed due to action.

Fire officials expect to get a look inside the building Thursday to search for a cause, according to the Boston Herald.