Firefighters braved the bitter cold before sunrise to battle a six-alarm fire at the Mount Zion Church in Roxbury, with one first responder sustaining a leg injury. Boston Fire reported the temperature was about 9 degrees when the fire broke out at about 4 a.m. Crews then jumped into action. One firefighter was transported to the hospital with a leg injury, but no other injuries were reported. “They don’t think it’s broke, but he probably has a torn ligament or two,” said Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn. The fire, and extreme cold, however, proved to be daunting.
The road and surrounding areas were slippery and iced over. At one point, part of the roof also collapsed. “There’s probably multiple ceilings and that’s why we had a difficult time accessing exactly where that fire is,” Finn said. Traffic in the area was also impacted, the road was blocked off, drivers on Townsend Street were forced down Walnut Avenue. The department also tweeted their thanks to volunteers who came out to give them hot chocolate, soup, and extra gloves on scene.
“I don’t know how this building caught on fire. It’s absolutely amazing to me and the fact the flames kept coming back,” said neighbor Elise Sutherland. It took firefighters nearly five hours to put out the flames. No word yet on what caused the fire. About $1 million was done in damages.
