By Seth Daniel
A massive 10-alarm fire broke out suddenly in East Cambridge on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 3, prompting firefighters from Everett, Revere, and Chelsea to mobilize their resources. Chelsea Fire Chief Len Albanese reported that both Tower 1 and Engine 2 from Chelsea were dispatched and remained actively engaged throughout the day.
According to Chief Albanese, Chelsea Fire’s crews arrived early in response and stayed on scene until 3 a.m.
“They were involved in operations in the fire area for 12 hours or so,” he said. “There isn’t a huge number of Tower ladders in the area. Chelsea having a Tower ladder is a specialty piece of equipment, so it is often needed. We felt like our Chelsea guys did great work over there.”
Everett responded at approximately the same time as Chelsea, deploying Engine 1 and Ladder 1 under the mutual aid agreement. Chief Anthony Carli explained that these units were called to the scene at the 7th alarm.
According to Carli, Everett’s firefighters, along with those from neighboring communities, arrived roughly 30 minutes after the initial dispatch and immediately became involved in firefighting operations.
Engine 1 departed the fire around 9:30 p.m., while Ladder 1 left at 1 a.m.
Reports suggested that Everett firefighters were positioned near the church structure that was consumed by flames—a building recently converted into affordable housing.
Revere Fire Chief Chris Bright indicated that Engine 4 was among the first responders and returned around 1 a.m. Meanwhile, Ladder 2 was assigned to cover the Harvard Square Fire Station, where the crew handled several calls, including two unrelated fires.
Bright noted that the timing of the fire—occurring during daylight hours—proved advantageous for evacuating residents.
“Between Chelsea and Everett, Revere and all our neighbors, with our mutual aid agreements, we can be called up to duty anywhere,” he said.
Revere’s firefighters worked alongside Everett crews in the midst of the blaze, Bright confirmed.
“They were right in the thick of it and did a lot of work by the original fire building and the church too,” he said. “They rolled up and grabbed a hydrant. They were there up on a lift and it was already quite a fire.”
Bright commended Cambridge Fire for their effective response and coordination of initial operations.
“They did a really nice job and they have a good department,” he said. “They did a good job realizing they didn’t have a handle on it and setting up a perimeter and being able to ensure there was enough water pressure on it. They really did a good job getting out in front of it. I’m glad we could all help them when they needed it.”
Notably, Bright mentioned that a newly hired firefighter was assigned to Engine 1 on Saturday—a unit that could have been called to the Cambridge fire instead of Revere’s Engine 4.
“Had they been called, it would have been his very first call on his very first day as a firefighter,” said Bright.