Hundreds displaced after Newton condo kitchen fire leads to water damage, electrical problems

NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A two-alarm fire that broke out inside a Newton condo forced hundreds of people out of the complex Monday night.

Firefighters responding to 250 Hammond Pond Pkwy. around 12:30 p.m. knocked down flames that sparked inside a condo’s kitchen on the eighth floor of the 16-story building.

The sprinklers had activated properly but created water damage within the building, Newton Fire Chief Bruce Proia said.

“With the amount of water from the hose lines and the sprinkler activation, it made its way down to the electrical control room and made an effect on the electrical switchgear,” he explained.

This forced officials to evacuate the 600 to 800 residents living inside two 16-story buildings that make up the condo complex as crews shut the power off.

“We lost elevators and this is an elderly population, so we were doing a lot of stair evacuations, stair chairs and whatnot,” Proia added.

The displaced residents were able to find shelter either with friends and family or inside hotels for the night, according to the American Red Cross.

Officials estimated that the building would need to remain empty for at least 24 hours.

Three people suffered minor injuries, but Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said it could have been a lot worse.

“They did have a rough day,” she said. “They were in really good hands with the first responders and the city will continue to be there in the days ahead.”

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