Eight people have been displaced and two restaurants are temporarily closed after a fire broke out Monday on the top floor of a mixed-use building that houses a restaurant in Boston’s North End neighborhood. The Boston Fire Department said they first received reports of a fire in the area of 288 Hanover St. around 5:45 p.m. and encountered heavy smoke conditions when they arrived at the building’s third and fourth floors above. “I was right outside the front door and I heard the alarm and the fire engines and we got out and that’s all I saw,” said Marinela Stefan, an employee at Ristorante Saraceno. Boston Fire Commissioner Jack Dempsey said a second alarm sounded was triggered early and the crews were able to put out the fire inside the fourth floor shortly after 18:30. “Access was difficult. That’s it, eating outside doesn’t help with that,” Dempsey said. Dempsey said there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters, but he noted two dogs were rescued from the building. The dogs’ owner was not home at the time of the fire and called a neighbor to make sure they were rescued. “(The firefighters) were able to get the dogs to their rightful owners, so it was a happy ending,” said Jeanne MacDonald. Hanover Street remained closed to traffic Wednesday night while firefighters stayed on site to monitor hot spots. Many restaurants are located in the area where the fire broke out, including Bella Vista and Trattoria Il Panino, which are located on either side of Ristorante Saraceno. Trattoria Il Panino owner Frank DePasquale said that both Ristorante Saraceno and Bella Vista belong to the same family. “Such hard, hard workers. They’re here every morning, every afternoon, every night, putting their heart and soul into it, as do all of us here,” DePasquale said. “It’s sad that something like this is happening and I hope everyone comes out here to support (her).” Dempsey estimates that Ristorante Saraceno and Bella Vista should be able to reopen within a few days.” “Nobody hurt. We kept the fire going. They’ll be back in business pretty quickly,” he said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
BOSTON —
Eight people have been displaced and two restaurants are temporarily closed after a fire broke out on the top floor of a mixed-use building that houses a restaurant in Boston’s North End neighborhood on Monday.
The Boston Fire Department said they first received reports of a fire in the area of 288 Hanover St. around 5:45 p.m. and encountered heavy smoke conditions when they arrived at the building.
Sky5 showed firefighters at work on the roof of the building that houses the Ristorante Saraceno on the first and second floors and apartments on the third and fourth floors above.
“I was right outside the front door and I heard the alarm and the fire engines and we got out and that’s all I saw,” said Marinela Stefan, an employee at Ristorante Saraceno.
Boston Fire Commissioner Jack Dempsey said a second alarm went off early and crews were able to put down the fire inside the fourth floor just after 6:30 p.m
“Access was difficult. As you know, al fresco dining in the North End doesn’t help, crowded as it is,” Dempsey said.
Dempsey said there were no injuries among civilians or firefighters, but noted that two dogs were rescued from the building.
The dogs’ owner was not home at the time of the fire and called a neighbor to make sure they were rescued.
“[The firefighters]were able to get the dogs to their rightful owners, so it was a happy ending,” said Jeanne MacDonald.
Hanover Street remained closed to traffic Wednesday night while firefighters stayed on site to monitor hotspots.
Many restaurants are located in the area where the fire broke out, including Bella Vista and Trattoria Il Panino, which are located on either side of Ristorante Saraceno.
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Ristorante Saraceno and Bella Vista are now closed as owners assess water damage. Trattoria Il Panino owner Frank DePasquale said that both Ristorante Saraceno and Bella Vista belong to the same family.
“Such hard, hard workers. They’re here every morning, every afternoon, every night, putting their heart and soul into it, as do all of us here,” DePasquale said. “It’s sad for something like this to happen and I hope everyone will come out here to support (her).”
Dempsey estimates that Ristorante Saraceno and Bella Vista should be able to reopen within a few days.
“Nobody hurt. We stopped the fire from spreading. They’ll be back in business pretty quickly,” he said.
The cause of the fire is being further investigated.
