LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - An excavator was seen tearing into what was left of a triple-decker home in Lawrence Wednesday afternoon as demolition and cleanup work got underway hours after officials said a massive fire tore through the building, causing the front of it to collapse.
Firefighters were initially called to the building on Jupiter Street around 12:30 p.m., where the flames spread quickly.
No one was seriously hurt, though Lawrence fire officials said one woman suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. A dog that had been inside the building was also found safe Wednesday afternoon.
Officials said the fire grew to three alarms, fanned by winds that, at times, exceeded 40 miles-per-hour.
Later, a 7NEWS camera was rolling when the front porches of the building where the fire took place collapsed.
Fire Chief Brian Moriarty said the collapse happened after crews poured a large amount of water on the fire.
“These porches are probably a hundred years old,” Moriarty said. “These houses are very old. They’re not designed to hold that much weight and it just came down.”
The Red Cross is assisting as many as a dozen people who have been displaced.
Crews were still on scene around 9 p.m. Wednesday working to restore power to some neighboring homes.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)