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Fire Damages Brookline Apartment Building; 30 Residents Displaced

BROOKLINE (CBS) - Fire damaged an apartment building on Hamilton Road in Brookline Monday afternoon. The fire was difficult to fight because of the narrow roads in the area.

Kevin Powell was doing work on the first floor when he heard the alarms. "Well I heard everyone just banging on doors so I just came out and looked up and it was on fire so it was a little scary," Powell said.

The fire appeared to start somewhere between the third floor and the roof. It was a tough fire to fight because the big building is wedged between narrow roadways behind Commonwealth Ave.

Brookline fire
A fire was burning at an apartment building on Hamilton Rd in Brookline (WBZ-TV)

"Very challenging the guys did a great job, the brothers and sisters, they got down these driveways and the back alleyways," said Brookline Fire Chief Keith Flaherty.

Boston University student Rajun Karla was watching movies with his roommates on the third floor when they lost power. "We took the fire extinguisher, took whatever we could, then we had to make a decision," Karla said. "Take our IDs and get out of the building."

The fire chief said everyone got out of the building safely, but now around 30 people, including Karla and his friends, will have to find another place to stay.

"It's too early to say anything," Karla said. "We took whatever we could right now and let's hope that some of our stuff is still there."

Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the flames in just under an hour. They say the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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