By Steve Freker
For the Item
Firefighters on the scene of an early Saturday evening Highland Avenue fire (photo Steve Freker)
A smoky, two-alarm fire ripped through the top floor of a three-story Highland Avenue building in the heart of one of the city’s signature neighborhoods early Saturday evening, sending two residents fleeing from the blaze and displacing eight others.
No one was injured in the 276 Highland Ave. fire, but two cats perished in the blaze.
Malden firefighters were joined on the scene by others from five other communities including Everett, Lynn, Medford, Melrose and Revere in battling the fire while Saugus firefighters provided coverage at two Malden stations during firefighting operations.
Malden Fire Chief Kevin Finn, on the scene throughout along with a Deputy Chief Steven Almeida, said the fire could easily have gone to a third alarm if not for the combination of quick action by the local fire crews and the prompt arrival of mutual aid from the other communities.
“We were ready to sound the third alarm, but we were able to control some trouble spots fairly quickly,” Chief Finn said. “Fortunately no one was injured or worse.”
A thick, black smoke and what one city police officer described as “massive flames” were seen right after first call came in to 911 at about 5:15 p.m.
“The smoke was so thick you could not even see down Whitman Street,” Finn added.
An initial report on social media described persons being “trapped” inside the building, but two people believed to be residents were able to get down the stairs and out of the building safely. The two pet cats were not so lucky.
The building, which has residential entrances on its Whitman Street side, includes a well-known men’s and women’s hair salon on the first floor, Shear Perfection, and residential space on the second floor and the third floor, which was destroyed by the blaze.
A total of 10 people lived on the second and third floors. American Red Cross volunteers at the scene Saturday said accommodations were being made to house five people displaced by the blaze.
Fire officials said the cause of the blaze was still undetermined and that a fire watch would be in place through Saturday night into Sunday morning and the investigation would continue at that time.
Malden Dept. of Public Works Director Bob Knox and Malden Police Capt. Glenn Cronin were also on scene as part of Malden’s Emergency Management Team.
“We are so lucky no one was hurt here. The firefighters from all over the area joined together and did a tremendous job,” Knox said. The DPW chief also said a safety fencing would be erected all around the large mixed-use building, located right in the middle of Malden’s bustling Edgeworth neighborhood.
It is the second major fire in that neighborhood within the past eight months. In October a five-alarm fire destroyed a store block about a quarter mile south of Saturday’s fire, when The Edge liquor store went up in flames at the corner of Highland Avenue and Medford Street.
