Fire that closed portion of Storrow Drive, Mass. Ave bridge started at homeless camp, police say

A fire along Storrow Drive eastbound near the Massachusetts Avenue bridge reported just after 11 a.m. Thursday is believed to have started at a homeless camp, state police said.

#MAtraffic, Storrow Dr EB at Mass Ave Bridge inbound and Mass Ave Bridge closed in both directions due to a fire 🔥 investigation.

— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) January 10, 2019

The fire closed both the roadway at the Mass. Ave. bridge inbound and the bridge itself in both directions at the time, police said. No one was injured.

Storrow Drive was reportedly reopened at 11:30 a.m., officials said, but the bridge stayed closed until around 12:40 p.m. when one lane from Boston to Cambridge was reopened with all lanes open from Cambridge to Boston. Police said state Department of Transportation crews were needed to check the structural integrity of the bridge.

Update #MassAveBridge @MassDOT says all lanes of travel are open from Cambridge to Boston. One lane of travel is open from Boston to Cambridge. Crews inspecting bridge still due to nearby fire

— Jacquelyn Goddard (@JacqueGoddard) January 10, 2019

Mattresses were thought to be involved in the blaze, police said, and engineers planned to use an X-ray to see if the bridge was damaged structurally. Some debris fell from the bridge onto Storrow Drive’s east and west lanes.

#MAtraffic Fire under Mass Ave Bridge believed to have involved mattresses. Engineers to use X-ray to check for structural damage. Debris fell between east & west lanes of Storrow, which is open. On bridge, 2 lanes open Boston to Cambridge, 1 lane open Cambridge to Boston. https://t.co/PvigEbrO50

— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) January 10, 2019

Somerville provided mutual aid to Cambridge while firefighters there helped the Boston department with the fire, the department said.

https://twitter.com/CambridgeMAFire/status/1083409987999883265