Firefighters Battle Two Blazes Early Friday Morning

Two fires struck at almost the same time and in the same neighborhood early Friday morning.

One of them, at 25 Lewis St., led to "extensive damage to the house," an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 worth of losses and the displacement of nine residents, according to Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher.

As of 9:15 a.m. Friday, fire officials were still on scene at both locations, Kelleher said.

The first fire broke out at 68 Rear Dane St. at around 4:32 a.m., the fire chief said, calling it a "small fire in the basement confined to the basement."

Then, at 5:02 a.m., "just two blocks away," firefighters were called to 25 Lewis St., he said.

That fire started on the first floor, extended to the rear porches and moved up to the roofline, causing a "large fire loss," Kelleher said. He said the fire caused side paneling on neighboring homes to melt.

"Everyone was evacuated from the building safely," he said, but some firefighters have reported minor injuries, such as back sprains.

Somerville fire investigators were on scene Friday morning along with state troopers from the fire investigation office, Kelleher said.

He said state troopers were originally called because the two fires were in close proximity, but there's no reason to believe the two blazes were connected. It's standard protocol to bring in the state fire investigation unit on major fires, the chief said.

Battling the two fires one right after the other was difficult for firefighters. Five companies battling the Dane Street blaze "went right to the other fire" without even collecting discarded equipment, Kelleher said.

"Fortunately for us, it wasn't exactly simultaneous," he said.

The American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts assisted the nine displaced Lewis Street residents with emergency funds or food and clothes, according to an email from the relief organization. It also supplied residents with toiletries and "smoke packs," which contain very strong detergent to "remove the smell of smoke from clothing so a favorite quilt or sweatshirt can be saved," the email says.