A two-alarm blaze ripped through a multiunit building on Maple Street in Roxbury on Sunday morning, collapsing part of the roof and forcing 11 residents out of their homes, eight of them children. Fire crews cleared everyone from the structure, and one person was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries, according to officials.
The fire broke out around 8:45 a.m., and NewsCenter 5 footage showed firefighters scrambling up ladders as heavy smoke swallowed the block, with part of the roof giving way in the middle of the response, WCVB reported. Crews quickly struck a second alarm and focused on beating back the worst of the flames while keeping the fire from spreading to neighboring homes. Investigators are expected to go over the scene once it is safe to enter, according to the station.
Roof Collapse Forced Exterior Operations
The Boston Fire Department told reporters that “firefighters were working from the exterior because they could not access the inside of the structure,” according to WCVB. The defensive strategy came after crews spotted unstable conditions on the roof and heavy fire throughout the building, officials said.
Roxbury Still Recovering From Earlier Blazes
The neighborhood is already on edge after a series of serious fires this year, including a March blaze that left one person dead and highlighted the risks posed by older multiunit housing, as reported by Boston.com. Local advocates say the repeated emergencies keep underscoring the need for more inspections and sturdier, more resilient housing in parts of Roxbury.
What Comes Next
In the days after a major fire, city agencies and investigators typically move in to assess structural safety and determine what help displaced tenants will need, from temporary shelter to longer-term housing options. Specific details on assistance for the families forced out of the Maple Street building were not immediately available. Neighbors said the sudden roof collapse rattled the block, and many were glued to official updates as crews continued overhaul work well into the afternoon.
