50 displaced, 1 reportedly unaccounted for after Fitchburg fire
The flames tore through a former school turned condominium complex.
Over four dozen people were displaced after a fire tore through a condominium building in Fitchburg Sunday night.
Firefighters responded to the three-alarm fire at 7 Beekman St. — a former school turned condominium complex with 24 units — after receiving a 911 call around 5:42 p.m., Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr. told reporters Monday.
Crews rescued a woman from a third floor window, Early said. About 50 people were displaced from their homes, state fire officials said.
Investigators began probing the fire Monday morning and are reviewing reports of one person who remains unaccounted for, according to Early.
Officials also received reports of multiple explosions at the scene, he said.
“As you look at the building, there was evidence that things were blown from the building,” Early said at a brief press conference.
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Upon arriving at the blaze Sunday, firefighters found flames coming from the third floor, according to WCVB. The fire spread from there.
Just got an update from fire captain – fire still going strong. He tells me it’s still 3 alarms & hard to get to inside the cockloft of this condo building. He says call came in as an explosion – still way too early to learn what caused this. @boston25 #Fitchburg pic.twitter.com/escFL2KmEh
— Litsa Pappas (@LitsaPappas) September 23, 2019
Flames are still going strong on the roof. Going to be a long night for firefighters in Fitchburg. pic.twitter.com/Zw6IabPdvi
— Nick Mallard (@n_mallard) September 23, 2019
“I cried when it happened,” Kaylah Gravel, a building resident, told reporters. “We have pictures, wedding photos, our baby’s photos. We just bought a new couch yesterday. Our whole life is in there.”
The fire burned for several hours, with crews containing the flames by 9 p.m. after experiencing water supply issues earlier in the evening, according to The Sentinel and Enterprise.
Two people were injured and brought to a hospital, according to WCVB. Firefighters also rescued several pets, The Sentinel and Enterprise reports.
“The investigation into the origin and cause of the fire is in its earliest stages,” Jennifer Mieth, a spokesperson for the state Department of Fire Services, said in an email to Boston.com Monday. “The roof has collapsed so they are working to bring in heavy equipment to begin to remove the debris. This will likely be a long day.”
According to Early, several agencies were at the scene, including the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco.
A dog handler entered the building, but determined it was unsafe, he said.
“We’re just going to let the investigators do what they’ve got to do, get into the building as they deem it’s safe,” Early said.
