Particle.news

Six-Alarm Fire Devastates Edison Building in Roxbury

The blaze threatens collapse of the 103-year-old landmark, displaces neighborhood businesses, prompts safety assessments, signals a city pledge of support.

Overview

  • Smoke was first reported around 7:30 a.m. Monday and Boston Fire officials say crews arrived within 30 seconds and began an hourslong fight.
  • An estimated 200 firefighters worked the six-alarm incident using ladder pipes and thousands of feet of feeder hose that pulled water from as far as Moreland Street.
  • Crews withdrew from inside the two-story building after confirming no one was inside because of significant collapse concerns, and firefighters remain on scene managing hotspots.
  • Accounts differ on injuries with CBS reporting none and Boston.com citing a Boston Fire Department public information officer who said several firefighters suffered minor injuries.
  • Mayor Michelle Wu and local organizations pledged city and nonprofit support for displaced small businesses as officials start structural safety checks and an investigation into the fire's cause.