Four people were displaced Saturday after a three-story home went up in flames on a frigid night in South Boston.
Fire crews responded to National Street shortly after 8 p.m. and found thick plumes of smoke.
A man reportedly told neighbors that his shirt had caught on fire while cooking and subsequently caught the rest of the house on fire.
"I was told by my roommate who was in the house, and I was actually away, but they said we had to evacuate because the neighbors' was up in flames," a neighbor told NBC10 Boston.
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Kidder Spillane, who lives in the home directly next door, says everyone in his building had to evacuated as smoke barreled in.
"I heard it was most likely a cooking-related incident," he said.
Spillane grabbed a bag and headed out while firefighters got to work in 20-degree weather.
Deputy Chief Brian Tully said the crews' efficient work prevented the entire block from going up in flames.
Icy conditions, a narrow street, overhead wires and frozen hydrants complicated the job of extinguishing the flames.
“Originally their hydrant was frozen but they kept working it and eventually they got water to flow so that helped our operation immensely,” Tully said.
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Four people were inside the home when flames broke out, but all escaped safely, and no one was hurt in the incident.
"I feel badly for the people living In the house," Spillane said. "No one wants to see that or have that happen to them. So I’m feeling very fortunate that I’m here today and all of my stuff's intact, as well.”
The fire department estimates the damages at $350,000.
Neighbors say because of the smoke damage, they're not sure if or when they'll be able to move back in.
