02/01/2014 - Around 1400 hours on the afternoon of Saturday, February 1, 2014 the Boston Fire Department struck their Box-1583 for a reported building fire at 31 Massachusetts Avenue. Ladder-15 arrived to find fire showing from the fifth and sixth floors of a six story occupied multiple dwelling. Shortly there after a second alarm was struck. Interior crews found heavy fire on the fifth floor, and reported no standpipes in the building. A third alarm was then struck bringing multiple companies to the fire scene. Crews accessed narrow alley ways on the "D" side and in the rear of the building. Interior crews made an aggressive attack and battled heavy fire conditions on the fifth floor. Once a ladder was positioned at the rear of the building in an alley way, a hand line was carried up and firefighters battled the fire from the exterior, knocking down heavy fire. Around 1445 hours a fourth alarm was struck by Deputy Chief Flemming. After the fourth alarm was struck, Engine-3 reported that they were having trouble evacuating off the sixth floor on the "C" side of the building. They requested a "big line" to knock down the heavy fire in their way. All companies were able to evacuate the building without incident. The fire ultimately went to seven alarms. At the height of the fire the front of the building had four ladders, and one tower stretched to the top of the six floor building. The rear of the building had one ladder stretched to the fifth floor, where they operated a line. The fire displaced 40-residents of the Back Bay apartment building, and injured 3-firefighters. The Boston Fire Department reports that the cause of the fire was careless disposal of smoking materials on the fifth floor. The building was partially sprinkled. The building was completely uninhabitable following the blaze. Damages are estimated at $2.5 million. The all out on Box-1583 was announced at 1943 hours. A fire detail of four engines and two ladders was to remain on-scene in the case of a rekindle.
