Fire Guts Family Home Near Inman Square

By Roberto Scalese and Chris Orchard

Update, Sept. 27: This fire is not considered suspicious, according to the Somerville fire department and state fire investigators.
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A house that was home to three generations of a Somerville family was substantially damaged in a two-alarm fire that broke out Thursday night.

"There's a tremendous amount of damage in there," Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher said about the blaze.

The American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts said seven people were displaced by the fire, including six adults and one infant. However, the dog that lived in the home—a Maltese—was missing, according to Kelleher and friends of the family. (Update, Sept. 27, 9:10 a.m.: The dog was found later in the night, after the fire was extinguished.)

Fire companies responded to the fire, at 27 Dickinson St., a two and a half story single-family home near Inman Square, at around 8 p.m., according to Twitter reports.

When firefighters arrived they encountered heavy fire conditions, Kelleher said, and there was "too much fire to get into the second floor."

Lisa, a neighbor who only gave her first name, said the initial fire was visible all through the Inman Square area. "You could see the flames all the way from Whole Foods," she said.

Pam Shaves, another neighbor, said she smelled something burning, and when she looked outside she saw flames "shooting out" of the home. "It was intense," she said.

During the fire, Beacon Street was shut down from Cambridge Street to Concord Avenue, and Springfield and Dickinson streets were also shut down.

By about 9:10 p.m. the fire was under control, though firefighters were still putting out pockets of fire, according to Kelleher.

"It appears to have started on the upper floor," he said.

Fire investigators responded to the fire, but it was too soon to determine the cause or whether the fire was suspicious. "It's going to take a long time to dig this scene out," the fire chief said. He added, "We know it started inside the building."

One neighbor, a longtime friend of the family who asked not to be named, said, "This has been a family home for three generations." The matriarch of the family was one of the original five waitresses at the original Legal Sea Foods restaurant, which was in Inman Square, the friend said.

"They lived there forever," she added.

The Red Cross said the displaced family had a place to spend the night, but the aid organization supplied them with funds for food, clothing and shoes, infant formula, and supplies—including a Mickey Mouse doll for the baby.

HERE'S WHAT WE ORIGINALLY POSTED:

Original post, 8:18 p.m.: Firefighters evacuated a Dickinson Street building as a two-alarm fire raged inside the wood-frame structure Thursday night.

A second alarm was struck as soon as firefighters arrived ay 27 Dickinson Street. There is fire on the second and third stories of the building, according to Twitter reports.

UPDATES:
8:52 p.m.: The dog is a Maltese, according to a relative of one of the house's occupants. Everyone but the dog safety left the building, but the dog has not been found inside. The relative also said the top floor of the house has been "gutted."

8:46 p.m.: Police have shut down Beacon Street from Cambridge to Concord Street. Dickinson and Springfield streets are also closed to traffic as firefighters continue to work.

One neighbor said she believes the occupants were all out of the house but a dog may still be inside. She also said the initial fire was visible all through the Inman area.

"You could see the flames all the way from Whole Foods," said Lisa, who only gave her first name.