A five-alarm fire ravaged buildings in Chelsea, Massachusetts, last week, leaving two heroic firefighters needing rescue and displacing dozens of residents. Chelsea Fire Chief Leonard A. Albanese and State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine have pointed to carelessly discarded smoking materials as a possible ignition source, as reported by mass.gov. The blaze started on a rear porch at 50 Maverick St., and, swiftly spread to the adjacent buildings.
As the fire gripped the structure, two firefighters found themselves trapped, necessitating a dramatic rescue. "Conditions rapidly deteriorated and they were rescued by the ground ladder from the right hand side of the building," Chief Albanese said, according to CBS Boston. In a statement captured by Hoodline, a resident recalled the confusion during the blaze, "So, we heard chaos outside, we heard a lot of screaming, a lot of yelling. And I look out my window, and I see it. There's a woman saying, just like ... I just don't remember ... like the house is on fire in Spanish."
The firefighters, whose air supplies dwindled amidst the smoke and flames made it out safely and continued battling the fire upon recue. Ultimately, the Chelsea Fire Department's response prevented the fire from spreading even further through the neighborhood. Local residents like Nicole Urrutia were left grabbing what they could as they fled the flames. "We rushed out the house with as much as we could, so we just got a sweater, my grandma got her purse," Urrutia told CBS Boston, thankful to escape the blaze that ensued after the fire started around 11:40 a.m.
Thirty-five residents now face the daunting task of piecing their lives back together, the Red Cross is stepping in to aid those who've found themselves homeless. No civilian casualties were reported and the investigation continues, delving into the exact cause of the fire. Meanwhile, state officials warn against negligent handling of smoking materials, emphasizing the risk such carelessness poses in densely built communities. As Fire Marshal Davine cautions in mass.gov, "If you smoke, or if you have guests who do, please be careful with cigarettes and other smoking materials. Never stub them out on a railing, toss them over the side, or drop them in a planter."
