Fire Destroys Off-Campus House; No Injuries as Students Evacuated
Photo by Bob Molloy/BU Police
Fire Destroys Off-Campus House; No Injuries as Students Evacuated
The cause of the blaze near the Track & Tennis Center is under investigation; students to begin the process to find new housing
This story will be updated with more details as they become available.
A fast-moving fire early Saturday morning destroyed a two-family house at 65 Ashford St., Allston, just beyond the far end of Boston University’s West Campus, forcing about a dozen students from BU and other area colleges who lived there out onto the sidewalk, as the Boston Fire Department fought the blaze. No one was injured in the three-alarm fire, which began sometime around 2:30 am a block away from the BU Track & Tennis Center and sent a plume of thick black smoke into the cold nighttime air.
The cause of the fire, which officials say caused about $2 million in damages, is still under investigation, said Robert Molloy, deputy chief of the BU Police Department. Approximately 10 to 12 students lived in the house, most of them from BU, including members of the crew and swim teams, along with a few students from Boston College, Berklee College of Music, and Northeastern. The house is a total loss, according to Molloy, who said the students got out so quickly that some were standing outside with nothing on their feet, as they were unable to collect any belongings before rushing out.
The students were briefly relocated overnight to the Track & Tennis Center, then all but three of them went to stay with friends temporarily. The three who did not have someone to stay with are receiving help from the American Red Cross.
Because it was off-campus housing, the students will work with city of Boston officials and the American Red Cross to find new housing, said John Battaglino, BU assistant dean of students. BU’s emergency services fund will also be used to help the students temporarily as they seek new housing.
“We’re so fortunate no one was hurt,” Battaglino said. “The students know that once they go through services available to them through the city, our goal is to help make sure they are ready to get to class and back on their feet.”
According to reports, the fire started on the second floor toward the back of the house and quickly spread to the attic and roof, through the walls, before eventually spreading to the front of the structure.
The house at 67 Ashford St., next door to 65 Ashford St., was also briefly evacuated because the fire was close to it, but those residents were allowed back into their home later in the morning. However, photos show the heat from the fire appeared to melt or badly damage the siding on 67 Ashford.
“Thick black smoke covers the building and fills the neighborhood as firefighters continue to battle this fire,” Boston Fire Department wrote in a post on X around 3:10 am. A little after 4 am, the department said the fire was under control.
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