A six-alarm fire tore through an apartment building at 461 Park Dr. yesterday morning, inflicting an estimated $1 million in damage. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the blaze.
The fire reportedly started on the first floor and worked its way up through the brick structure, located a block from Boston University’s South Campus at the intersection of Beacon Street and Park Drive. Flames had engulfed the first two floors when the firefighters first arrived on the scene at 7:53 a.m.
Three people sustained injuries resulting from the blaze. A firefighter suffered an ankle injury, while a civilian rescued from 459 Park Dr. and an EMS worker suffered from smoke inhalation. The victims were taken to Beth Israel Hospital.
According to officials, nine people were displaced from an adjacent apartment building and treated by a nearby Red Cross station.
The same building was struck in June by a fire, claiming the life of one occupant and injuring several others. The building was undergoing construction to rebuild from that fire when yesterday’s blaze began.
Crews continued the fire cleanup last night when they moved in a crane to demolish the unstable building.
Neighbors to the affected building woke to a frightening surprise yesterday morning.
Joe Camardo, a student at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, was staying with a friend on the third floor of 463 Park Dr., across the street from 461. He said his friend woke up to the smell of smoke and proceeded to wake him up.
“I saw a lot of black smoke in the room. I was scared. I thought the flames were below us,” Camardo said. “We saw black and white smoke and flames shooting up … It was so hot and the heat was intense. I’m thankful [my friend] woke me up; I might have suffocated.”
Surrounding Boston University dormitories remained untouched by flames, “but there was water in the basement of a building down the street from there on Beacon Street, but we’re pumping that out,” according to BU spokesman Colin Riley.
Nearby students did, however, observe the blaze, even from Commonwealth Avenue.
Chris Thiele, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he saw the flames from his room in Warren Towers and thought the apartment on Park Drive he had just leased for next fall was the building on fire.
“I came up to make sure my building was still standing,” he said.
Others were much closer and still felt the effects.
College of Arts and Sciences junior Jayesh Ghaghada, who also lives at 463 Park Dr., could see the flames from his first floor apartment. He said he felt his building was in danger and quickly left the building.
“I was the first one to leave the building … the fire department was already there,” Ghaghada said.
According to Ghaghada, tenants of 463 Park Dr. were not allowed to enter their building as of yesterday evening. As a result, he was unaware of any possible damage to his apartment and planned to stay with friends until it was safe to return.
Riley said the University is willing to try to aid any students affected by the fire.
“If there’s a student living in other properties that aren’t ours, they’re welcome to contact the Dean of Students’ Office and we’ll see if we can help them out,” he said.
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