A fast-moving fire ripped through a three-story triple-decker on Treadway Road in Boston on Saturday night, sending flames shooting through the roof and ultimately collapsing it as the blaze chewed through every floor before crews got it under control. Neighbors captured dramatic video from the street as firefighters battled towering flames and worked to shield nearby homes from catching fire. Officials did not immediately report any serious injuries, and investigators have opened an inquiry into what sparked the blaze.
Crews were called to the Treadway Road building around 8:15 p.m. for a reported structure fire and arrived to find heavy flames blasting from the roof, according to WHDH. The station reports the fire tore through all three floors before firefighters managed to bring it under control, and that officials later praised crews for keeping the flames from spreading to nearby houses. WHDH also noted that the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Why triple-deckers spread fires fast
Triple‑deckers are wood‑frame, three‑family homes where fire can race up exterior porches and barrel through interior stairwells, turning a single-building fire into a much bigger problem in very little time. Boston has already seen a string of fast-moving triple‑decker fires this month, including a four‑alarm blaze on Princeton Street that spread to multiple neighboring buildings and injured a firefighter, according to WCVB. That fire, like the Treadway Road incident, underscored how quickly a porch or stairwell flame can escalate into a full-blown neighborhood emergency.
Displacement and response
When a triple‑decker goes up, it is rarely just one household that feels the impact. The Princeton Street fire left 21 people homeless, and the American Red Cross stepped in to help those displaced, The Boston Globe reported. For the Treadway Road blaze, officials have not yet released how many residents were displaced, and investigators are still working through the scene to determine a cause, according to WHDH.
Treadway Road runs through Dorchester, a neighborhood where three‑deckers are a staple of the housing stock, per Ownerly. This story will be updated as the Boston Fire Department or investigators release additional details.
