Resident jumps from window as Somerville fire displaces 18

Close to 20 Somerville residents were displaced Sunday night when a fire broke out near Tufts University.

Firefighters were dispatched to 268 Powderhouse Blvd. just after 11 p.m. They received reports of smoke and a “possible explosion” on the second floor of a public housing building there, according to a spokesperson for the Somerville Fire Department.

At the scene, they found an active fire and multiple residents trapped in the building. One unconscious person was rescued from the apartment where the fire originated, the spokesperson said.

A child was rescued via a ladder from the ground, and three adults were rescued using an aerial ladder. Another person jumped from a third-floor window and sustained a leg injury, the spokesperson said.

Images posted online by freelance photographers and video obtained by WHDH appear to show residents gathered around underneath the person who jumped from the window, helping to break their fall with a mattress.

A cat was also rescued. Four residents were brought to local hospitals for treatment, and four Somerville firefighters also suffered minor injuries.

The fire was brought under control by around 11:30 p.m. but was not fully extinguished until 2:41 a.m.

All told, 18 residents were displaced from nine units due to heavy smoke and water damage. The Somerville Housing Authority, the city government, and local aid groups are helping those impacted with temporary housing and essential services, the spokesperson said.

Officials did not say what caused the fire. An investigation is ongoing.

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