Firefighters Battle Flames, Hot Weather In Somerville

SOMERVILLE, MA — Firefighters battled flames, smoke and unseasonably hot weather in Somerville Wednesday.

Sixteen people were displaced by the fire, which started on Melvin Street around 4:50 p.m., Fire Chief Charles Breen said. Firefighters found flames in the third-floor bedroom, which resulted in significant fire, smoke and water damage to the third floor and water damage to the remainder of the house.

Firefighters had to open skylights on the roof to help ventilate the smoke and go into the walls and ceilings to verify that the fire had not spread into the attic. The abnormally high temperatures posed an additional challenge to firefighters, Breen said.

The fire left the home uninhabitable. Ten adults and six children were displaced, and one firefighter suffered a knee injury, Breen said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.