Six Massachusetts Firefighters Injured in Blaze

BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Six firefighters were injured and eight people were left homeless yesterday when a three-alarm blaze ripped through a two-family home in Brookline.

Three of the firefighters rescued a fourth jake after a wall on the second floor of 40 Harrison St. collapsed, fueling a blinding "flashover" so intense that it blackened even their fireproof helmets.

"They were caught in a fireball," Deputy Chief Mike O'Reilly said. "They went from seeing nothing to seeing fire all around them. If those three hadn't pulled out the fourth, we would have lost someone today."

Firefighters responding to a report of a handicapped person trapped inside the 2-story, woodframe house arrived shortly after 2:30 p.m. and found heavy fire on the second floor, O'Reilly said.

"The porch was ablaze," said Ed Bagley, who lives across the street. "The next thing flames were shooting through the roof."

Six firefighters were treated for burns and minor injuries, and eight people, including two children, and a cat were relocated by the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire was under investigation last night, but the blaze is believed to have started on the second floor.

Republished with permission of The Boston Herald.