Boston Suburb Inferno Forces Dozens to Flee

A suspicious fire whipped by high wind roared through a densely populated city block early today, destroying at least seven three-family houses and forcing dozens of families to flee.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but at least seven firefighters and three residents suffered minor injuries.

“It’s amazing there is no loss of life,” said Revere Fire Inspector Gene Dougherty, who described the neighborhood as “the most congested in the city.”

Authorities said the fire was one of three suspicious blazes overnight within half a mile or so in this working-class suburb north of Boston. The other two were far less serious.

All fire equipment in the Boston metropolitan area was made available to Revere, and at least 17 departments sent men.

Revere Mayor George Colella declared a state of emergency in the city. He said the blaze displaced 125 to 160 residents of the neighborhood of mostly Asian, Latino and Portuguese residents.

The wind combined with temperatures in the 20s to produce a wind-chill effect of near zero, and firefighters had to work on ice-covered streets. Some fire engines were completely encased in ice.

The three-story frame buildings, common to the region, are called “triple-deckers” and were built to accommodate three families.

Fire Chief James Connery declared the fire a conflagration, “the highest level of fire you can declare.”

Al Barbosa, 25, whose house escaped the flames, said he and others helped evacuate three buildings. He said some of those rescued were invalids, “and some didn’t even know there was a fire. They were still asleep.”

“My tenant and I went up on the roof with buckets of water to try to keep the embers from catching, but eventually the firemen ordered us out,” said David Coderre, owner of the tenement across the street from where the fire started.

The fire gutted his building. “I had everything in there,” said Roberta Stairs, his third-floor tenant and the mother of eight. “I don’t know what we’ll do for Christmas now.”