Four-alarm fire rips through Hyde Park building

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

Workers cleaned up debris after the fire today.

By Michael Naughton, Globe Staff

Eight businesses were destroyed or severely damaged and about 20 people were displaced when a four-alarm fire ripped through a Hyde Park building early this morning.

The fire, which broke out at about 3:40 a.m. in a three-story building at River Street and Fairmount Avenue, destroyed a hair salon and damaged other businesses that lined the building's first floor.

The only person injured was a firefighter who was treated and released for cuts, fire officials said.

Residents from the second and third floors of the building were able to escape after being awakened by the screams of people outside and alarms in the building, they said.

Javier Diaz, the owner of Rincon Caribeno Restaurant, had just purchased another restaurant in the building, Murphy's Country Kitchen. Both restaurants were heavily damaged, said Diaz.

"We'll rebuild," said Diaz, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. "We have to hope for the best and work harder. We have a good business. What can you do, but just do it again?"

Officials said they had yet to determine a cause for the fire, whcih caused $1.5 million in damage. They would not say whether they considered the fire to be suspicious.

The American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay is helping five families displaced by the fire.

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