(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Boston) - People living in the area of an 8-alarm fire in East Boston quickly congregated outside to witness the scene.
Huge crowds were gathered around outside of 85 Lexington St., where Boston firefighters were knocking down a blaze that destroyed one home and impacted two others and a car. Residents had gathered out of concern of their own property as winds gusted in the area. East Boston is one of the city's most densely populated neighborhoods.
There were two families from Brazil living inside 85 Lexington, with a a total of four adults and four children between the ages of 3 to 10. The families had been living there for several years, and all made it out safely.
Jose Silva, whose family lived on the second and third floors of 85 Lexington St., was not in the home at the time, but his children were.
"I still shake. I want to cry, but you know, I'm alive ... You can buy a new house, you can buy new stuff. But it's not easy," he said.
Boston Fire spokesperson Steve MacDonald says Ladder 15 and Engine 33 - crews that lost two firefighters in late March - responded to the scene. When asked how they were doing, MacDonald said "It's what we do."
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