BOSTON (WHDH/AP) — A multi-alarm fire destroyed a $45 million apartment building in Boston Wednesday that was in its final stages of construction.
Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn says the blaze at the six-story, wood-framed Treadmark building started around 2 p.m. Wednesday. Finn says the fire appears to have started on the top floor, moving quickly downward. Finn says the building became unstable after air conditioning units on top buckled and collapsed.
The fire department says it was forced to fight the fire from the exterior of the 83-unit building on Dorchester Avenue due to safety reasons.
Officials say one construction worker was hospitalized for chest pains, and several firefighters were hospitalized with exhaustion.
Firefighters remained at the scene overnight and were dousing hot spots Thursday morning. Roads remained closed in the area. The Ashmont MBTA station reopened Thursday morning after closing Wednesday.
The fire alarm system for the building was slated to be inspected Thursday and turned on. Tenants were slated to begin entering in July after many placed large deposits. Officials say it’s a miracle that the building is still standing, especially due to the lack of sprinklers.
Tenants are now waiting to find out if any of the building can be salvaged. Some nearby residents were evacuated or told to remain in doors because of the poor air quality in the area. Heavy smoke could be seen pouring into the air for hours.
Officials say the building was constructed all within code, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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