Man rescues residents from Dorchester fire, three people injured

BOSTON — A father of four is being called a hero for rescuing residents from a fast-moving house fire that injured three people on Thursday.

Alfred Jimenez, who works at a barber shop across the street from the fire, says he saw initense flames shooting from the house and ran to help.

"He saw smoke, and he ran to the house and there were two people coming out. He hang to the window and take one guy out," said Saeed Arzu, in translating for Jimenez, who does not speak English.

Jimenez said he didn't even think twice. He jumped up on the overhang and pulled a man to safety.

"At that moment, he didn’t even think about risking his own life. He just wanted to go and help," Arzu said.

The intense flames were shooting from the back of the house, forcing residents to jump out the window.

"You could see the flames from a block away. It was black smoke, the house went up very quickly," said neighbor Denise Williams.

Two people were sent to an area hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

The fire broke out around 3 p.m. in the back of a duplex on Bowdin Street in Dorchester.

It was the race against time.

Xuyen Nguyen, who lives at the home along wit hher seven other relatives, said they lost everything.

"Luckily my kid wasn’t home either, her and my 7-year-old," said Nguyen.

"I just feel lost," she said. "Right now, I don’t know what’s going on. But thank you so much whoever help my mom. Thank you, thank you."

A resident told Boston 25 News that she was listening to music when she smelled smoke.

"You could see the flames from a block away, definitely. There was black puffs of smoke. The house went up very quickly," she said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Cox Media Group