CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - More than a dozen people were displaced Thursday after a fire broke out in a residential building in Cambridge, officials said.
Emergency crews responded to the scene on Gore Street Thursday afternoon.
Video later shared with 7NEWS showed the fire at its strongest, with flames seen billowing from third-floor windows.
While the fire had been largely knocked down as of around 5 p.m., crews remained on scene monitoring hotspots. By 6:30 p.m., emergency crews had largely shifted their efforts toward helping residents of the building who were impacted by the fire.
“It’s just sad,” said Maureen Sullivan, a witness to the fire. “I feel really sad for them.”
Area resident Rick Maher said he saw flames and smoke as the fire burned.
Fellow area resident Darcy Delaney said she looked out her front door and spotted “just a ton of fire trucks” racing to the scene.
“I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to stay or go because there was a lot of smoke outside,” said Michelle Michaels, who lives next door to the building that burned.
Neighbors said they were concerned the flames would jump to neighboring buildings.
Cell phone video, meanwhile, showed the emergency response stretching around the burning building as crews were engulfed in a smoky haze.
Flor Bonilla said she “lost everything.”
“I have two kids and I don’t know what is going on tonight,” Bonilla continued. “It’s cold and I don’t have anything for my kids. But I’m safe.”
The area around this fire was blocked off Thursday afternoon and authorities were asking community members to stay away.
As night fell and while many looked for a place to stay, many were still thankful the fire’s impacts were not worse.
“I was really afraid for the rest of the block because the houses are so close,” said Marie Saccoccio.
“Thank God there was hardly no wind,” said Rick Maher. “So, that’s a good thing…Everybody is out and everybody is safe.”
The cause of the fire remained under investigation Thursday night.
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