LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - Thick, black smoke filled a neighborhood in Lawrence Wednesday night as a house went up in flames.
Fire crews were alerted to the blaze when someone showed up to the station, which sits just two blocks away from the scene.
Fire Chief Brian Moriarty said he “heard somebody beeping the horn ringing the doorbell, they looked to there was a car there, banging on the door.”
That’s when they looked down the street and saw the smoke pouring into the surrounding neighborhood.
“There were also a lot of people outside in the parking lot screaming,” Moriarty said.
For a while, people were concerned someone was still trapped inside but crews later confirmed that everyone had made it out safely.
The department tackled the flames and tried to save what they could of the home.
“The building is salvageable but extremely heavily damaged,” Moriarty explained.
The Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the seven residents who are now without a place to live.
In the wake of the fire, Moriarty stressed the importance of renters insurance.
“They have nothing and that’s the hard part and unfortunately many who rent don’t have renters insurance,” he said.
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