An incident in Dorchester forced a dozen residents out of their homes on Sunday, following a large fire that scorched through multiple houses. The Boston Fire Commissioner, Paul Burke, stated that the fire was reported at a triple-decker home. Multiple families lived there, and the report was allegedly made around 10 a.m. on the same morning. 120 firefighters arrived on the scene to battle the flames and put them out as soon as possible. The task became even more difficult as residual winds from Hurricane Ian passed through New England.
It was also deduced that these heavy winds were responsible for spreading the fire to three neighboring buildings, which also went up in flames, on Peverell Street and Cushing Avenue. “It’s one thing if it’s windy and the fire’s inside, but it was outside, so the porches caught and then it spread to the other buildings and the adjacent buildings. So, the wind was a big factor today,” Commissioner Burke said. Just moments after the report was made at around 10:30 a.m., the fire department said that the fire in the original building had burned through the back porches of the home and then through the entire building. A few minutes later, the department found themselves chasing the rampant flames onto the fourth floor of the building and onto the roofs of the affected homes. “With rear porches and the proximity to the buildings, the wind was a huge factor. It pushed the flames and the heat to other buildings and the sidings of the buildings,” said Boston City Fire Chief, Jonathan Rodriguez.
25 Peverell Street was one of the homes damaged by the fire. It was the former residence of the Wahlberg family, and was the home where Mark and Donnie Wahlberg grew up. The oldest of the Wahlberg brothers, Arthur Wahlberg, confirmed to NBC10 Boston that the family indeed grew up in the Peverell Street home. “My phone was blowing up with text messages about it,” he added. In 2018, Mark visited his old house while filming his Netflix film, “Spenser Confidential.” He also posted a picture on his Instagram account, posing outside the home with a caption that stated: “This is where it all began. Old Stomping grounds.” He also recorded a video outside the home, which can still be seen on his Instagram page.
“But it, like moved quick, and it’s crazy. I was having coffee on the porch and smelled smoke from the front. I just ran around back, and the first floor was on fire, like all orange flames,” said Frank Mancini, a fellow neighbor. Another observer who witnessed the incident live was Sarah Macdougall, who was on her porch with her morning coffee, alongside her dog, and said that she could see smoke and smell it as well. “I just saw a large cloud of smoke and so I knew it was a bad fire, I threw the dog in the house, grabbed my phone and immediately called 911, and ran towards the houses,” she stated.
While the cause of the fire is not confirmed yet, an investigation is underway to determine how, exactly, the fire started. Two firefighters, along with a civilian, suffered minor injuries and are currently undergoing treatment, said Fire Spokesperson, Brian Alkin. He also stated that the estimated property damage is nearly $2 million.