Boston firefighters battle house fire in Dorchester
A house fire on Sydney Street in Dorchester caused a plume of smoke that slowed traffic on I-93. Residents were unharmed. (Lauren Frohne/Globe Staff)
A two-alarm fire on Sydney Street in Dorchester displaced nine people this morning, officials said.
The blaze broke out shortly before 11 a.m. in a two-family, two-and-a-half story woodframed building at 161 Sydney. Heavy fire was reported on all floors.
Residents were unharmed, officials said. The fire heavily damaged the rear of the home, which faces onto the Southeast Expressway.
Officials estimated the damage at about $500,000.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire as safely and quickly as possible, said Steve MacDonald, spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.
“They got ladders up on three sides of the building and attacked as quickly as they could.’’
A woman who lives around the corner from the home said there had been several fires in the area over the past few years.
“We had a fire in June of 2009,’’ said Sarah Bolivare. “This one is worse. I feel terrible for the family.’’
Other neighbors commented on the severity of the fire, which caused thick, dark smoke to billow over the house and turned heads of drivers on the Expressway.
“I’ve owned a house around the corner for 25 years and I haven’t seen anything this bad,’’ said neighbor Susan Harris.
The cause of the fire, which drew 60 firefighters to the scene, remains under investigation. Officials are unsure whether it was suspicious, said MacDonald.
The residents of the home are being assisted by the Red Cross.
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