Two firefighters were injured while battling a fire at a Brookline apartment building on Freeman Street. As reported by WHDH, one firefighter was hospitalized with burns to the neck, and another experienced chest pains. Crews from Boston, Cambridge, and Newton assisted the Brookline Fire Department in fighting the blaze.
The fire broke out around 3:15 p.m. in a three-story triple-decker on Craig Place, according to NBC Boston. During the firefighting efforts, a stairwell in the building collapsed due to the intensity of the fire.
Residents of the building evacuated safely, and the American Red Cross of Massachusetts is providing support for those displaced. Firefighters are continuing to search for hot spots as they assess the damage, which is believed to be significant.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. A local witness told WHDH, "Initially there was a large crowd of people… I started to choke from the smoke as I walked outside."
