Early Sunday in Brookline Village, a three-alarm apartment fire that started in a kitchen turned into a high-rise rescue, as firefighters pulled a man and his dog off a fifth-floor balcony. The man suffered burns to his hands and was taken to a hospital, while several other units in the building were left with heavy water and smoke damage. Some neighbors hustled out of the building, others stayed put on orders from crews working to contain the fire. No firefighter injuries were reported.
Brookline Fire Chief John Sullivan told WCVB the blaze began when cooking turned into a grease fire and triggered a three-alarm response. Crews found the resident on a fifth-floor balcony shortly after 4 a.m. and raised ladders to reach him and his unit. Sullivan said firefighters largely held the flames to one apartment, even as smoke and water spread into neighboring homes.
As WHDH reported, firefighters evacuated parts of the building and rescued the man and his dog from a window on Village Way. According to the station, two additional residents were checked out at the scene but did not need to be taken to a hospital, and investigators were still working to determine the cause.
Damage And Local Response
Several apartments took on significant smoke and water damage while crews worked through overhaul and ventilation, and town officials said getting displaced residents into safe housing as quickly as possible was the top priority, according to WCVB. Brookline has faced a run of serious multi-alarm fires in recent years that forced people from their homes, a trend Brookline.News highlighted after a March 2025 blaze that destroyed a Craig Place home and injured firefighters.
Fire Safety Reminder
Grease fires can erupt fast and should never be hit with water, which only spreads the flames. Instead, slide a lid over the pan, shut off the heat and call 911, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Officials also urge residents to make sure smoke alarms are working, keep a clear escape route from the kitchen and consider a properly rated fire extinguisher within easy reach for cooking emergencies.
