MALDEN, Mass. — Joey Hannigan saw the flames spread through the second-floor windows of a Malden two-family on Whitman Street on Friday.
“It was all up ablaze, ambulances coming. It was crazy. A sight to see for sure,” he said.
Patricia Edo spotted the flames driving while driving up the street. She yelled, warning two women out front.
“I looked at them and said, ‘Get everybody out!’ Then I could hear it popping,” she said.
Edo shot video she shared with Boston 25.
“It looked like a swirl and I said, ‘Something is really on fire,’” she said.
Several local towns responded to help Malden after 911 calls poured in shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday evening.
Malden Fire Chief William Sullivan said the first engine companies that arrived “discovered heavy fire on the second floor and rapidly put those lines in operation to knock down the fire.”
Fire crews were able to douse the flames quickly and Sullivan said luckily, everyone got out.
“Fortunately, all four occupants safely self-evacuated prior to arrival,” he said.
That’s the good news but the flames destroyed this house, leaving two families with no place to call home just weeks before Christmas. The Red Cross is assisting.
One firefighter received minor injuries but is expected to be okay. The cause remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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