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Neighbors hailed as heroes in Beacon Hill fire

E-mail|Link July 14, 2010 04:49 PM

By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent, and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Residents of a Beacon Hill apartment building that caught fire this morning said they were saved by two neighbors bounding up the steps, banging on doors, and shouting, "Fire!"

Audio: Jeff Johnston discusses fire rescue

By Martin Finucane/Globe Staff

“He ran all the way upstairs and started knocking on everyone’s doors. The female knocked on our door, making sure everyone was getting out and that we knew it was an actual fire,” said Christina Schmidt, 25, a first-floor tenant of 51 Phillips St., as she held her dog outside the burned building this morning. “So they essentially saved everyone in the apartment and called 911. So they’re the heroes, really.”

“We heard reports from the firefighters saying if we didn’t get out when we did, there would’ve been more severe damage. Floorboards would’ve fallen through if people tried to walk on them,” said Lauren Fowler, 25, a second-floor resident. “They made all the difference in the world.”

Jeff Johnston, 44, a principal at a Boston real estate investment company, broke open the thick front door of the building and ran in. Amy Ryan, president of the Boston Public Library, was right behind him.

“Jeff was the real knight,” Ryan said by telephone. “He stepped back, brought up his left leg, and just mashed that door open. It was amazing.”

Two people were critically injured in the two-alarm fire that was reported at 4:58 a.m. in the 4-story, 10-unit apartment building, the Boston Fire Department reported.

One woman was found in an apartment suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
Firefighters also found a man in the back of the building with burns, who appeared to have jumped from the third floor. Both victims were taken to nearby Massachusetts General Hospital, where they were in critical condition, the fire department said.

One firefighter was taken to the hospital with debris in his eye.

Damage was estimated at $250,000 and at least 12 people were displaced, fire department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.

Johnston said he and Ryan, who share a courtyard that looks up at the building that caught fire, could see some smoke when they heard a fire alarm in the building go off early this morning.

They called 911 and right afterward saw curtains on the second or third floor go up in flames, Johnston said.

"We saw the flames. They were coming out of that window hard. I knew there was a problem. … I just knew there was a problem so I wanted to help out," he said.

Johnston expressed concern for the two people who were injured, saying, "I just wish everybody could have got out of there. … I thought I got everybody."

MacDonald, the fire department spokesman, said, "We were told by people that neighbors pounded on the doors and alerted people. That's always great to hear, people coming to others' aid. With a large apartment building and the time of day -- 5 a.m. -- having someone help in the effort to get people out certainly contributed" to getting people out safely, he said.