A devastating six-alarm fire struck John Street last Wednesday afternoon, May 2, resulting in the complete loss of two buildings. In the days following the blaze, Chief Leonard Albanese issued a cautionary message to residents about porch safety, though he noted that investigators had not yet pinpointed the fire’s cause.
The fire began on the second-floor back porch at 10 John St. “We haven’t determined the official cause yet,” he said. “We know it’s not arson, and it’s accidental. I want to emphasize that porch fires are a significant threat to our community and residents need to use extreme caution with the fire load on their decks, not smoking on their decks and not cooking on decks. No one is allowed to use a grill on any floor above the ground level.”
Chelsea firefighters fighting the John Street blaze on May 2 with heavy smoke.
When companies arrived at the scene on the afternoon of May 2, they encountered heavy fire conditions affecting all three rear porches of the three-story multiple wood frame dwelling at 10 John St. Flames were actively spreading into the structure and threatening the neighboring properties at 6 John St. and 12 John St. Ultimately, both 6 and 10 John St. were deemed total losses, while 12 John St. sustained minor damage.
The impact extended beyond the primary fire site. A large three-story, six-unit building at 68-70 Clark Ave. experienced water damage, while 66 Clark Ave. suffered radiant heat damage to its rear. At 56 Parker St., exterior radiant heat damage affected the rear of the structure, and fire operations caused damage to the fence at 50 Parker St.
Displacement resulted from the destruction: 18 residents from 6 John St. and 12 residents from 10 John St. were left without homes. The Red Cross responded immediately to assist those affected.
Chief Albanese commended the firefighting response, noting that personnel and mutual aid partners performed exceptionally well despite the challenging conditions on a particularly active day for fires across Greater Boston, with simultaneous incidents in Cambridge and Somerville.
“The members of the Chelsea Fire Department along with our mutual aid partners engaged in a major fire operation under extreme conditions, which led to the containment of the fire to the loss of two structures only,” said the chief. “Without their valiant efforts, we could have lost several other structures further devastating the effected neighborhood. This was without a doubt a great job done by all.”
The chief also recognized 9-1-1 dispatch for their coordination throughout all six alarms. “Additionally, Chelsea 911 did a great job allocating resources for the six alarms and guiding them to the scene,” he said. “This is difficult on a normal day, but Somerville had a multiple alarm fire that was tying up companies in the Metro Fire region at the same time, making this task a challenge.”
No civilian injuries were reported. Three firefighters sustained injuries that were immediately documented and treated; all were released. Additional injuries occurred due to the extreme conditions, with smoke and combustion product inhalation affecting multiple personnel, resulting in an estimated three to five additional injuries under evaluation following the fire.