Fire destroys home daycare in Jamaica Plain

JAMAICA PLAIN (WHDH) — A large fire ripped through a home daycare in Jamaica Plain Tuesday morning.

Boston firefighters responded at around 10 a.m. to Lamartine Street for a report of heavy fire at a single-family home with a daycare in the basement.

Officials said five children were in the home daycare as well as one or two workers. Four people lived in the home. Everyone managed to get out safely.

The children were taken to a home next door to keep warm. Four of the children were taken by State Police cruiser to a local hospital to be evaluated.

An unattended candle on the first floor sparked the fire, according to fire officials. No injuries were reported.

It is estimated the damage is around $1 million. Children’s toys, strollers, benches were also destroyed in the fire.

A witness, Todd Gallentine, said he was running by when he noticed what appeared to be a fire outside. He ran over to the home to see if anyone was still in the house.

“It was terrible,” he told 7News, “not knowing if anyone was truly inside or out…you couldn’t do anything because it was just too huge. But fortunately everyone was safe.”

Gallentine said fire crews arrived on the scene about three to five minutes after the first call. One mother credited the daycare center operators with getting the children out so quickly.

The 15-year-old home was licensed to operate a daycare. It was inspected back in Nov. 2017, according to records.

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