REVERE — A seven-alarm fire tore through three homes on Hyde and Pleasant streets late Tuesday afternoon, leaving several residents displaced and multiple firefighters with heat exhaustion.
The fire, which broke out at around 4:30 p.m. and spread to three houses — one on Pleasant Street — collapsed the roof of one home. Firefighters had initially responded to a call for a fire at 25 Hyde St.
According to Revere Senior Deputy Chief of Police Chris Bright, one resident was taken out of a third-floor window by a ladder. When he arrived, Bright said power lines adjacent to the home that initially caught fire were on fire as well.
Assistant Fire Chief James Cullen said several firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion, and some needed to be assisted out of the burning homes by the ladders. Crews battling flames and heavy smoke also had to contend with 100-degree heat.
Cullen said he believes all of the residents made it out of the buildings safely. Neighbors were also evacuated and were being housed down the street where there was water and wet towels available.
A neighbor on Pleasant Street said she was in her kitchen making ravioli when she smelled the smoke and looked up and saw it outside of her window.
“The smell was really strong, my iguana started scratching me because I think he could smell the smoke too,” the neighbor said.
She said she went outside to see what was going on, and was immediately immersed in so much smoke, she couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her.
Neighbors gathered on Beach Street said the fire spread rapidly and the smoke consumed the area shortly after firefighters arrived. One neighbor reported being able to smell the smoke while driving by the Wonderland MBTA Station — more than a mile and a half away from where the fire broke out.
Fire trucks used more than five fire hydrants from surrounding streets to battle the flames. The scene was blocked off with caution tape and Beach Street was closed to motor-vehicle traffic by police from Harrington Street to Broadway while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
Cullen said the firefighters were working to keep water on the fire after it was knocked down and estimated they would be at the scene late into the night. Cullen said there will be an investigation into the cause of the fire.
Fire trucks from Everett, Saugus, Chelsea, Wakefield, Malden and Massport Fire Rescue were on scene to assist the Revere Fire Department.