Firefighters rescued a person who was trapped on the third floor of a building that caught fire on River Street in Cambridge early Wednesday morning.
When they arrived on scene, firefighters found intense flames on the second floor. They had trouble accessing the three-family home due to its location, which is set back about 60-70 feet, fire officials said.
A man who lived on the third floor was trapped above the fire and had to be rescued over a ground ladder. He was taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation, but is expected to recover. One firefighter was treated for an ankle injury on scene.
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"They had heavy fire on the second floor. It’s a River Street address but as you can see, the building is tucked about 60, 70 feet behind the main house is on River Street. They made an aggressive attack on the second floor," Cambridge Fire Chief Tom Cahill said.
A total of eight people who lived in the three-family home were displaced by the fire. The city and the Red Cross of Massachusetts are helping the displaced residents find housing. All smoke detectors worked in the building, fire officials said.
An initial report was received just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday for a stove/oven fire. The bulk of the fire was knocked down by 2:30 a.m. and firefighters were working to put out hot spots.
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There flat rubber roof was significantly damaged, fire officials said, but the building appeared to be salvageable. River Street remained closed for some time Wednesday morning.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Cambridge Fire Department.
