Massachusetts

Fire Erupts in Boston Skyscraper Under Construction for 2nd Time This Summer

It's the second fire at One Congress in just over a month, leaving the Boston Fire Department "concerned," its commissioner said

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Firefighters battled a blaze in a high-rise under construction in downtown Boston Saturday afternoon.

The fire was burning inside multiple floors high up the One Congress building, according to the Boston Fire Department.

"The fire is traveling thru the duct work and shafts," the agency wrote on Twitter, adding that firefighters were bringing in "thousands of feet of hose line" to douse the flames inside the building.

The blaze was put out and two firefighters were sent to the hospital, possibly with heat-related injuries, Commissioner Paul Burke said.

"We're just glad that it wasn't an occupied building," he said, adding that the construction workers inside were accounted for.

The fire, reported about 11:45 a.m., started in a utility shaft on the building's sixth floor. It raced as high as the 25th floor -- where the shaft crosses the building, before continuing to the roof 44 stories up, according to Burke.

Firefighters used saws to cut open ducts inside the walls, Burke said. Teams were being rotated so they could stay cool amid the heat -- Boston topped 85 degrees Saturday.

"The heat is pretty bad today," Burke said. "With all the gear and the high-rise fire, there's a lot of exertion."

It's the second fire at One Congress in just over a month, and one of several public safety incidents in Government Center this summer, and the commissioner said the Boston Fire Department was "concerned" about it.

On June 24, smoke poured from upper floors of the building and streets in the area, as well as exits of I-93, had to be closed.

The fire started on the 20th floor of the building, which is still under construction.

Among the buildings developers is HYM Investment Group, which had, before the June fire, told the MBTA that at least one of a nearby garage's support columns was "severely deteriorated" because of water damage, creating an unsafe environment for the Green and Orange Line tunnels the column passes through.

On July 12, about a block down New Chardon Street, an underground transformer explosion sent two workers to the hospital and sent emergency responders pouring into the area.

And in the spring, a worker was killed at a parking garage at One Congress when a crane partially collapsed. The garage was being demolished as part of the $1.5 billion Bulfinch Crossing redevelopment project, of which the skyscraper will be the hub.

More on the building at One Congress in downtown Boston

Fire in Boston High-Rise Sends Smoke Over City

Boston's One Congress Tops Off at 600 Feet

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