SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Fire investigators believe a car parked in a driveway between two buildings in Somerville sparked a fire early Monday that caused up to 25 people to be displaced from their homes.
Around 3 a.m., flames were seen shooting from the third floor of a wooden triple-decker at 37 Jackson Road. in the Winter Hill neighborhood.
Somerville fire chief Charles Breen said that when crews arrived, a car in the driveway between 37 and 33 Jackson Road engulfed in flames before spreading to the buildings.
The fire escalated to four alarms before 4 a.m., according to a Cambridge Fire Department tweet. One of the buildings is condemned and the other will likely be torn down, too. Demolition could begin Tuesday.
Breen credited working smoke alarms to helping everyone make it out of both homes safely.
The Red Cross said it's helping more than two dozen people with food, clothing and housing. The building at 37 Jackson Road was completely destroyed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.