Residents of a Roxbury high-rise were awakened late last night by the sound of alarms and the smell of smoke as a fire broke out in the building's garbage chute. The Boston Fire Department reported on social media that the incident occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m. at 35 Northampton St. Responding crews encountered a heavy smoke condition and significant carbon monoxide spread throughout the structure, which led to the elevation of the incident to a 2nd alarm.
At approximately 11:15 a fire in a high rise building at 35 Northampton st. Roxbury. The fire was in the trash chute which caused a heavy smoke condition and high Carbon Monoxide throughout the building. A 2nd alarm has been ordered . pic.twitter.com/5MpQ53OdgQ
— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) October 19, 2024
Despite the alarming circumstances, there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities; however the impact of the incident on the residents, who were forced to evacuate late at night amid the fear and chaos of a building fire, could not be understated.
Immediate measures were taken to ventilate the building and ensure that it was safe for residents to return. In the aftermath of the event, the fire department is likely to investigate the cause of the blaze and assess whether any factors contributed to the fire’s origins in the trash chute. Firefighters successfully extinguished the fire, and after ventilating the high-rise and checking CO levels, they gradually permitted residents to return to their homes.
