4-Alarm Fire Forces Dozens Out Of Beacon Street Apartments

BROOKLINE (CBS) – A four-alarm fire forced dozens of people out of their apartments and into the cold Monday morning.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports.

Flames were shooting from the fourth floor of 1471 Beacon Street, shortly after residents were evacuated around 9:30 a.m.

There are no reports of any serious injuries. Everyone inside escaped safely.

WBZ-TV's Jim Smith reports.

Brookline Fire Chief Paul Ford said one resident and two firefighters suffered minor injuries.

Smoke detectors in the building were working, according to residents.

"If she hadn't woken me up, I'd be dead right now," Isabel Navarro told reporters about her roommate Cassidy.

"By the time she woke me up, it was so smoky, I could barely breathe."

The women owned three cats, who did not make it out of the building alive.

A woman who lived in the basement told WBZ-TV she saw "flames coming out of one of the laundry closets" before she escaped.

It's not clear yet how the fire started, but Ford told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 it began in the basement and shot up to the fourth floor.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports.

The four-story brownstone is between Coolidge Corner and Washington Square.

Several residents were walking along the sidewalk in pajamas and blankets. Some had pets.

A shelter was set up at nearby building to keep them warm.