Boston

Dozens of College Students Displaced by Massive Boston Fire

Up to 70 students from Northeastern University and Berklee College of Music are without homes after the 7-alarm fire at 104 Hemenway Street

A massive fire at 104 Hemenway Street displaced up to 70 students from Northeastern University and Berklee College of Music.

Dozens of Boston-area college students are without a home after a massive fire Saturday.

Some 114 residents in all -- including up to 70 students from area colleges -- were displaced by the fire that ripped through a 5-story building in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood.

Officials responded to 104 Hemenway Street, which is home to Northeastern University and Berklee College of Music students, just after 3:15 p.m. Saturday.

Around eight residents and one firefighter were taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries, Boston EMS said.

“There were no alarms going off in our building, so we had no idea what was going on. I just heard glass shattering,” one young woman said.

Northeastern student Adam Petricca caught heavy smoke on camera when he was taking a nearby alley to get home.

A roof collapsing and harsh weather were big challenges while firefighters tried to battle the blaze.

“The wind keeps pushing it one way then pushing it the other way, so as you see every once in a while the wind will shift it comes down at you then it shifts another way and goes away,” Fire Commissioner Joe Finn said Saturday.

All of this happened on parents weekend at Northeastern.

"I think it's scary for a lot of people even parents who have kids around here, not necessarily in this building. But the Fire Department did an incredible job," said Mayor Marty Walsh, who was on scene Saturday.

Mayor Walsh says his administration is working with the colleges to make sure the students have alternate housing.

Fire officials remained on scene overnight to hit "hot spots."

Investigators were in the building Sunday morning, trying to determine the cause of the fire but say it is not considered suspicious at this time.

Exit mobile version