At approximately 10:00 hours this morning, Boston Fire Alarm struck Box 1875, Cushing Ave and Windermere Road in District 7, for 25 Peverell St Street in Dorchester after receiving calls of a structure fire. The home on Peverell Street is one of note, given it is the family home of the famously Boston Wahlberg family. As firefighters from across the city responded, Fire Alarm continued to receive calls as more and more people called 911 to report the blaze.
Upon arrival, Engine 3 took command and after reporting heavy smoke and ordered a 2-Alarm on the orders of the Captain. Within minutes, command updated that there were numerous locations with heavy fire and ordered a 3-Alarm. The audio from the fire can be found below:
As heavy winds pushed the flames from the original fire location into adjacent buildings, firefighters struggled to contain the blaze. The high wind conditions made it extremely difficult to extinguish the fire as it continued to pop up in different areas.
Within about ten minutes of arrival, firefighters noticed that multiple other structures had begun to catch fire, specifically a residence on Cushing Avenue, and a 4th Alarm was ordered. Over the next half hour, firefighters would continue to battle the fire which grew to a total of 6-Alarms.
In total, over 125 firefighters responded to the Box. Wind gusts in Boston were measured at over 40 miles-per-hour this morning with consistent gusts throughout the fire. The bulk of the fire was successfully extinguished by about 10:45 hours.
Numerous special units from Boston Fire responded to the fireground, however one in particular that played an instrumental role in chasing and knocking down the fire was the newly implemented pilot program for the Boston Fire Drone Unit. Using aerial imaging and thermal detection, firefighters were able to find hot spots and pockets of fire and quickly direct companies where to go on the offensive.
According to Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke, the fire appeared to have begun in the rear of the buildings. “So it was a total of four, three-deckers that were on fire, mostly in the rear of the buildings on the porches,” Burke said.
The Commissioner went on to say, “It’s a tight street. They couldn’t get an aerial ladder up here because of the wires on the poles here. It’s a very tight street, so they needed the labor to get going and get everybody in place.” Burke finished by saying, “It was a tough fire.”
President Sam Dillon of Local 718 when asked about his members work today said, “Outstanding job this morning by Local 718 Firefighters, battling an intense and severely wind-driven fire.”
Dillon continued saying, “The aggressive and professional action taken this morning undoubtedly prevented what would have been a catastrophic loss to the residents of the City of Boston. As President, I continue to be incredibly proud of the skill and bravery of the Local 718 Firefighters I have the privilege to represent.”
A total of 15 residents were displaced by the blaze. However, there were no major injuries. Two firefighters were treated and transported by Boston EMS to the hospital with minor injuries as well as one civilian.
All three are expected to make a full recovery. The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time with Boston Fire and Police FIU continuing to investigate the blaze. The estimated damage from the fire is expected to be well over 2 million dollars.
