Articles Posted in FIre and Explosions

According to news reports, explosions were heard this morning before a two-alarm fire roared through a Winthrop home, damaging the house and injuring family members inside. Around 8:30am, neighbors called 911 and the Winthrop Fire Department responded to the scene. A father was home with his two adult stepdaughters at the time. The all were able to escape the house without assistance. However, the father suffered serious, though thankfully not life-threatening, burns and was rushed to Mass General. The women were primarily treated for respiratory conditions. Our sympathies are with the family as they recover.

This fire is one in a series of fires that have occurred in the Greater Boston area (Back Bay, Dorchester, etc.) in the last several weeks. Here, however, authorities are unsure what caused the explosions and flames-heard and seen by neighbors- that damaged the home. Unlike a fire in Dorchester earlier in the week, there is no lit cigarette to blame (as least yet). Investigators have considered the possibility of gas leaks and shut off gas supply to the house, though all is still very speculative. It appears that firefighters were able to halt the fire before it made its way to other homes in the neighborhood.

Responsibility for a fire can rest on numerous individuals, including landlords, building designers, contractors, manufacturers, owners, tenants, or guests. If you or a loved one has been injured in a fire you believe was caused by the negligence of another, it is important to contact an attorney to seek optimal financial recovery for personal injuries and property damage.

A three-alarm fire at 5:45am, apparently caused by a cigarette on the second floor porch, caused several injuries and left nine individuals homeless when it destroyed a three-story home on Harvard Avenue in Dorchester. A 13-year-old boy was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital with burns on his head. Five firefighters were also taken to local hospitals with cuts and chest pains. According to reports, no injuries are life-threatening.

The estimated damage caused by the fire is $500,000. A white van parked outside the home was also destroyed by the spreading fire.

Responsibility for a fire can rest on numerous individuals, including landlords, building designers, contractors, manufacturers, owners, tenants, or guests. In this case, beyond being caused by a cigarette, it is currently unclear who was involved in starting the fire and how exactly the fire began-including who lit the cigarette, whether it was left unattended, if it thrown on the porch while still lit, whether the building was up to code, etc. The owner of the home has not yet been reached.