Firefighters Brave Bitter Cold To Battle Brighton Blaze
BRIGHTON (CBS) - Firefighters battled a four-alarm fire in extremely cold temperatures in Brighton on Sunday morning.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports.
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Crews responded to 160 Chestnut Hill Avenue just before 6 a.m. Fire officials said it was just 14 degrees outside when they arrived on scene.
The fire spread through the entire block, affecting a laundromat, a pizzeria, a cleaning supply company and a catering business. The building and all four businesses were destroyed.
WBZ-TV's Jim Smith reports.
One firefighter was treated at the scene and transported the hospital for an eye and back injury.
At one point while battling the blaze, all firefighters were ordered out of the building after a very close call.
"As members were exiting to get in a better position, there was a fire wall that came right out, and they barely escaped out of there. At that time, the decision was made to pull all people out of the building," said Dep. Fire Chief Steve Calobrisi.
There were also big concerns that the roof might collapse, so crews called in the State Police helicopter with some technology to offer a birds eye view. While the chopper circled overhead, it fed back real time video images of the roof to firefighters on the ground.
While battling the blaze, which was fed by natural gas, firefighters had to wear masks because of possible chemicals stored in the building.
Crews also had to deal with low water supply and ice, which covered everything and caused some firefighters to fall.
The fire caused around $4 million in damage to the building.
