LAWRENCE — A three-alarm fire erupted at a multi-family residence on the corner of Lea and Tenney street over the weekend, displacing about 15 residents and causing extensive damage to the building.
The owner of the property, state Rep. Estela Reyes, D-Lawrence, stood behind caution tape amid hundreds of neighbors as fire departments worked to put out the fire.
According to Lawrence Fire Chief Brian Moriarty, firefighters responded to the reports of a house fire at about 1 p.m. on Saturday. Crews arrived at 1-7 Lea St. as residents were escaping from the building, with the blaze quickly moving from two to three alarms.
Moriarty said there was “extremely heavy fire” spread throughout the first floor that had scaled up and began ravaging the entire building. Engines and ladders from all across the Merrimack Valley were called to the scene, including North Andover, Methuen and Haverhill.
“We’ve got at least 10 departments here,” Moriarty said. “This really was about a four-alarm assignment.”
Firefighters strategically parked engines at separate street corners, hosing down each side of the property and containing the blaze. Sections of both Tenney and Lea streets were closed off as murky water carrying debris, flowing out of the house, flooded the roadways.
The crews had gained control of the burn at about 3 p.m., cutting off the hoses and sending lieutenants to walk through the charred remains of the building. Smoke continued to pour from the scene, spreading a cloud across several blocks in the area.
Moriarty said that there were no injuries reported among residents or firefighters, but there was a pet dog that sustained some injuries from the incident. He also said that the building was not salvageable due to the extensive damage and would have to be knocked down.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined as Reyes was not at the property when the flames first arose.
“I don’t live there and I don’t know how it started,” Reyes said. “I was in an event when I got a text that says, ‘Your house is burning down.’ Then, I started getting calls from tenants and families.”
Reyes reconnected with her tenants in the Arlington Middle School, ensuring the families were unharmed and receiving updates from first responders. There were about 15 displaced residents, including several families with young children, collected in the school’s cafeteria, being taken care of by Red Cross workers.