Four-alarm fire displaces nine from Dorchester house

October 13, 2008 02:25 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

Fire officials are investigating the cause of a four-alarm fire that badly damaged a large Dorchester home early this morning.

Authorities said they believe the predawn fire started on the front porch of the three-story home, but said the cause remains undetermined.

"Nothing has been ruled in or out," said Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald.

Nine people, including six children, escaped unharmed from the second and third floors of the house at 24 Powellton Road, MacDonald said. Neighbors said the residents moved in less than two weeks ago, after the house had undergone months of renovations. The first-floor unit was unoccupied.

The large fire broke out shortly after 4 a.m., awakening many residents in the thickly settled neighborhood, just off Columbia Road.

"We heard all the crackling and the burning, and we called 911 right away," said Jose Morales, a 37-year-old who lives just down the street. "The house just burst into flames."

More than a dozen fire engines responded to the scene, lining the narrow streets around the house, neighbors said. About 100 firefighters took several hours to subdue the fire, which authorities estimated caused $250,000 in damage.

One firefighter was treated for burns at a city hospital and released.

This morning, investigators were focusing on the gutted front porch, snapping multiple pictures of its charred, collapsed beams. The fire ravaged the two stories above the porch, causing the second floor to partially collapse, but did not extend to other parts of the house or other houses.

Neighbors gathered at the scene to watch the investigators, as smoke and the smell of charred wood still hung in the air.

Neighbors said the residents dashed out of the house in their pajamas and bare feet, and huddled together as they watched their home burn. Neighbors brought them blankets, clothes, and shoes, Morales said.

"They were scared, but they were OK," he said. "Everyone got out in time. That's the good thing. They were very lucky."

Family of the displaced residents arrived at the scene during the fire, neighbors said, hugging them closely in relief. The Red Cross is assisting the families, MacDonald said.