Over 40 people displaced after fire at Somerville apartment building

A large fire at an apartment building in Somerville’s Teele Square displaced 43 residents Wednesday evening, according to the city’s fire department.

All of the building’s occupants evacuated safely from the fire, which began just before 5 p.m., the department said. Several firefighters sustained minor injuries, but none were taken to the hospital, according to Cataldo Ambulance Services.

The City of Somerville announced on Thursday that it is activating its emergency displacement fund for the residents of the three-story building, which spans from 1137 to 1147 Broadway.

While investigators haven’t determined a cause of the fire, smoke first appeared on the third floor of the building with “heavy fire conditions” above the ceiling, the department said.

“Somerville’s emergency responders and our neighboring firefighters who came to our assistance tonight prevented an even greater tragedy,” Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson wrote in a statement. “I witnessed their amazing work first hand and am full of gratitude for them.” 

Firefighters at the fire station in Teele Square, which is located right across the street, heard a fire alarm at the building and noticed the smoke coming from the third floor.

The department sent five aerial ladders to the roof of the building, right above where the fire had spread, according to the department. Firefighters then opened holes in the roof to ventilate the smoke and put out the spreading flames, the department said.

Firefighting activity scaled back around 10 p.m., according to Cataldo’s post.

Several local fire departments assisted in the efforts to put out the fire, including Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Belmont, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Revere, and Watertown. The Stoneham Fire Department wrote online that one of their engines covered Somerville’s central station during the blaze.

The fire impacted 32 homes, with the third floor and roof sustaining fire, smoke, and water damage, according to the department. The lower floors sustained excessive water damage. 

The building is also home to several businesses, including a laundromat, smoke shop, and seafood restaurant. None of the businesses responded to requests for comment, but The Boston Globe reported that the businesses were also closed. 

Firefighters located and rescued at least two cats while putting out the fire, according to the department. In one touching moment documented by WCVB 5, firefighters reunited a resident with his 13-year-old gray tabby, who was found hiding in a closet. The man said it was “the only thing that matters.”

Brendan Nordstrom

Night Reporter

Brendan is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, covering crime, education, courts, and more.