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The fire began just after 11:30 a.m. on Friday, March 1, on Maverick Street. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from a three-story building, but the flames quickly spread to a neighboring building, the Department of Fire Services said.
Firefighters put out the flames around 1 p.m. after multiple crews showed up to assist.
Arson investigators said the fire on the back porch of 50 Maverick St. The exact cause was not determined, but the most likely cause was said to be smoking material not properly extinguished. The blaze is not considered suspicious.
“In Chelsea and other densely built cities and towns, a fire on a back porch can quickly grow to involve multiple buildings,” said Chelsea Fire Chief Leonard Albanese. “Many of these fires start with cigarettes and other smoking materials that are carelessly discarded. They can smolder undetected, spread to the main structure, and extend to nearby homes within minutes. I want to thank the Chelsea and mutual aid firefighters who did a remarkable job containing this fire, which grew very, very quickly. Under slightly different circumstances, the entire neighborhood could have been threatened.”
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