Large fire causes vacant building to collapse in Somerville

A large fire broke out at a vacant home in Somerville Wednesday night, causing it to collapse and damaging the buildings next door.

Firefighters responded to the area of 75 Thurston St. just before midnight. Multiple nearby communities sent firefighters to help. The Cambridge Fire Department posted images of the scene on social media.

Huge plumes of smoke could be seen throughout the area, including from across the Charles River in Boston, according to images posted by users on Reddit.

By daybreak, the building where the fire started had mostly collapsed. It was under renovation, and no one was home. However, at least two neighboring buildings were damaged, and multiple residents were displaced, Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen told Boston 25 News.

He described how firefighters performed an extensive amount of manual labor in battling the fire, “opening up” walls and ceilings in multiple buildings.

The cause of the fire is unknown, and an investigation is ongoing. The Somerville Fire Department did not respond to requests for information Thursday morning.

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