Editor’s Note: This story was last updated on Dec. 5, and previously updated with comment from Executive Director of Public Safety Yolanda Smith on Nov. 8.
Firefighters respond to fire at three-family house on Raymond Avenue
Firefighters are currently battling a fire at a three-family home on 74 Raymond Ave., located streets away from Tufts campus. The fire was reported at approximately 11 a.m. Friday morning and appears to be burning from the back of the house. Heavy smoke can be seen coming from the roof of the house and drifting over the surrounding area.
The streets around the house have been closed as firefighters attempt to extinguish the blaze, and Tufts community members have received multiple advisories to avoid the vicinity of Raymond Avenue until further notice.
According to an American Red Cross official, one Tufts student was evacuated from the building and taken to a hospital.
Executive Director of Public Safety Yolanda Smith provides update on incident
In an email sent to the Tufts community Friday afternoon, Executive Director of Public Safety Yolanda Smith provided further information about the fire.
“At approximately 11:05 a.m. this morning, a fire was reported at 74 Raymond Avenue in Somerville, a privately owned property where 10 Tufts undergraduate students lived. Somerville Fire and Police, as well as Tufts University police, EMS, and paramedics responded quickly,” Smith wrote. “One student was transported to the hospital with burns and smoke inhalation and is receiving excellent care. Thankfully, all other residents are safe, and no further injuries have been reported.”
The students affected by the fire have been provided with resources including temporary housing, clothing and counseling, according to Smith. Smith clarified that the area around 74 Raymond Ave. remains an active scene and emergency officials are still on site. The incident is currently under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Fire Investigation Unit.
“Our thoughts are with all those impacted, and we extend our support to the entire campus community,” Smith wrote.
Tufts Fire Marshal weighs in on emergency response
A Somerville fire department crew arrived to the Nov. 8 house fire at 74 Raymond Ave. with three engines, a ladder and a rescue company, according to Tufts Fire Marshal John Walsh. After seeing smoke rise from Boston Avenue, two Tufts Fire Safety members arrived minutes after the city’s department.
“The fire department crew was faced with rapidly developing fire and they had the victim hanging out a window on the third floor in the front of the building,” Walsh said.
Tufts Fire Safety and Emergency Medical Services provided aid to the victim while the Somerville Fire Department began containing the fire, which posed a risk to neighboring houses. First responders could not immediately confirm all occupants had been evacuated at the time of the fire, Walsh said, although all are believed to have self-evacuated earlier.
“Those first few minutes, it’s organized chaos at any fire,” Walsh said. "It was a prolonged operation." While the fire was under control within the first hour, Walsh added that “They were operating on the scene for hours because of the complexities of the building.”
Seasonal conditions like strong winds and a lack of rain caused the fire to escalate rapidly, according to Walsh. He said that drone footage led him to believe the fire likely began on the open back porches. Commonly in the Boston area, outside fires often go unnoticed and spread to homes, Walsh said.
“All these conditions were right for a bad event, and it happened. All it needed was something to kick it off,” he said.
The Somerville Police Department is currently in the process of investigating the cause of the fire.
University officials from the Dean of Students Office, Residential Life, the Tufts University Police Department and the International Center promptly reached out to the affected Raymond Avenue student residents and their families, according to Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations.
“All students received JumboCash and meal swipes from Dining and temporary housing through Residential Life,” Collins wrote in a statement to the Daily.
According to Collins, the students who were scheduled to study abroad this spring were also contacted by Tufts Global Education with support for related costs and to address issues with lost or damaged passports and visas.
“The International Center began working directly with international students to help address the need for new visa and immigration documentation and help them manage requests to consulates and other offices. Fortunately, we have been informed that on Nov. 21, international students affected by the fire were able to gain access to the building and retrieve their passports,” Collins wrote.
Walsh encouraged students living off-campus to consider implementing more fire safety measures such as properly working smoke detectors, having an emergency ladder and maintaining a clean environment.
“I hope that people who were aware of this recent fire can use it as motivation to make their lives safer,” he said.
Matthew Sage contributed reporting.
