A three-alarm fire displaced multiple residents and injured two firefighters Friday morning after flames tore through a multi-family home in Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood and spread to two neighboring buildings, according to city officials.
Kristy DosReis, the city's chief public information officer for public safety, said Providence police and fire personnel responded to the blaze at 160 Carpenter St., where firefighters encountered heavy fire conditions involving a multi-family residence.
Deputy Assistant Fire Chief Gregory McGee said crews arrived shortly before 9 a.m.
“We had heavy fire in a three-story wood frame building with exposures on both sides catching fire, so it’s pretty challenging,” said McGee. “We needed a lot of manpower to contain that.”
The fire spread to neighboring homes before crews brought it under control. The original building collapsed, while two adjacent multi-family homes sustained heavy fire damage.
McGee said firefighters faced numerous challenges, including the narrow street, closely spaced homes and a complete collapse of the original building early in the fire.
“We had three houses going. We had cars in the back on fire. We had a collapse in the original fire building pretty early on in the fire, a complete collapse,” he said.
All known occupants safely evacuated the buildings, DosReis said. An estimated eight to 10 residents were displaced by the fire.
Two firefighters were being evaluated for injuries sustained while battling the blaze. The extent of their injuries was not immediately available.
Approximately 67 firefighters responded to the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This is a developing story.
