By O’Ryan Johnson
The Boston Herald
BOSTON — A woman suffered serious burns after a four-alarm fire engulfed an apartment building last night in the city’s North End, authorities said.
The woman, who witnesses said appeared badly injured, was taken from the third floor of the building with serious burns and transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to EMS and fire officials at the scene. Witnesses said she was in her 50s and had lived in the neighborhood for many years.
Neighbor Robert Spagnuolo said he was passing by the building, saw smoke and called 911 just after 11 p.m.
‘I ran inside and there was a wall of flames,’ Spagnuolo said. ‘The whole first floor looked like it was on fire.’
Spagnuolo said two young women poked their heads out of a first-floor window, and he helped them through their window to the ground. ‘There was no way they were getting out through the front door,’ Spagnuolo said.
Hundreds of people gathered on the street as firefighters from across the city converged on the scene. Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said the blaze went through the roof. Black smoke could be seen pouring from the building as flames billowed from windows on the third floor.
Copyright 2012 Boston Herald Inc.
All Rights Reserved