7News Boston WHDH-TV
Firefighters on the fireground coming up to the third floor of the building were caught by a backdraft explosion that caused flames to be blown about 30 feet across the street. Four or five emergency responders were blown down stairs. The backdraft blew out all the top floor windows, but no one was injured and everyone made it safely out of the building.
"We saw the pop and the window just flew out and landed on top of a blue vehicle that was outside," said Doreen Ramos, who lives across the street from where the fire took place. "You could hear the wood crackling, it was scary and you heard the glass pop, literally pop out."
As firefighters were climbing a stairway to the fourth floor, a backdraft explosion blew out windows on the upper floor, Deputy Fire Chief Geoffrey Gardell stated. The backdraft explosive fire left 17 people homeless in Worcester Saturday, while firefighters escaped serious injury.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
