Flames and smoke from a roof fire at 182 Beacon St. could be seen for blocks. Credit: Boston Fire Department
Boston Fire Department investigators are trying to determine what sparked a fire on the roof of a Beacon Street brownstone in the Back Bay.
Firefighters were called to the six-story condominium building just before 6 p.m. Monday. It took them about half an hour to extinguish the blaze, which could be seen from a distance.
“We got a lot of phone calls on this because it was pretty spectacular, with all the flames shooting in the air,” fire spokesman Steve MacDonald told the Boston Globe.
The fire was initially believed to have been caused by a grill on the roof deck, but investigators have ruled that out. Flames spread from the deck to the penthouse unit, which was vacant.
No one was hurt, but the building’s residents were forced to find other places to stay because the electrical system was shut off due to water damage.
“For instance, in the stairways and the hallways, up the whole six floors, you have water coming through the ceiling, the light fixtures,” MacDonald said.
The Back Bay fire caused an estimated $1 million in damage.
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