Heavy black smoke and flames tore through a three-story triple-decker in Mattapan on Monday afternoon, leaving the rear of the building badly damaged and neighbors watching from the street. Boston Fire crews rushed to Wilmore Street near Blue Hill Avenue just after 1:30 p.m. and quickly escalated the response to three alarms as flames pushed through the second and third floors. Twelve people, seven adults and five children, were displaced, and one firefighter suffered burns and was taken to a hospital. The cause remains under investigation.
Early Arrival, Heavy Smoke
According to a post on X from the Boston Fire Department, crews were dispatched to 7 Wilmore St. around 1:30 p.m. and reported “fire on floors 2 and 3,” which triggered the three-alarm response. The department’s social posts showed thick plumes of black smoke and aerial images revealing heavy damage to the top rear of the building. Officials also noted that the Fire Investigation Unit and the Red Cross were on scene to help residents and pets forced out by the blaze.
Crews Battled Strong Winds
Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke said firefighters ran into heavy fire at the back of the building, and strong winds were helping to push the flames deeper into the structure instead of away from it. “They had a hard time getting to it because the wind was blowing right at them,” Burke told NBC10 Boston. He added that even after the main body of fire was knocked down, crews were still chasing stubborn hot spots.
Knockdown and Hot Spots
By about 2:15 p.m., firefighters had knocked down the heavy fire but continued working the eaves to root out lingering hot spots, according to WCVB. Recovery teams and partner agencies moved in to begin assessing the damage while crews checked neighboring properties for any extension.
Authorities said 12 people, seven adults and five children, were displaced by the blaze and that one firefighter sustained burns and was transported to an area hospital, NBC10 Boston reported. The Salvation Army’s disaster services team also responded to assist residents who suddenly found themselves without a home.
Triple-Deckers Under Fire
Triple-decker homes like the one on Wilmore Street have been at the center of several multi-alarm fires across Mattapan and nearby neighborhoods in recent years. The Boston Globe documented a December blaze on Hazelton Street that displaced 14 people, a reminder of how fast fires can upend families living in older multi-family buildings. Fire investigators will now work to piece together the sequence of events that led to Monday’s blaze.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Crews remained on scene into the afternoon to check for extension and fully secure the building, WCVB reported.
