11 displaced by large fire in Watertown

WATERTOWN, Mass. — A large fire in Watertown sent three people to the hospital and displaced 11 residents Thursday night.

The fire began on Williams Street around 6 p.m.

"I was sitting in my room, and I smelled smoke," said neighbor Hans Florentino. "And I was like, 'Where is that smoke coming from?' And I saw a police cruiser right out here."

One resident was able to run out of the house on his own, but was hospitalized for burns. Two firefighters were also hospitalized for heat exhaustion.

The second and third floors of the multi-family home took the brunt of the damage. Firefighters said the fire was challenging to put out.

"It's a good-size building, irregularly shaped," said Deputy Chief Rob Iannetta of Watertown Fire Department. "A lot of smoke when we showed up, not a whole lot of fire showing. We had kind of a tough time finding it initially."

Investigators do not believe the fire is suspicious, but they are still working to find the cause and origin.

The condition of the injured resident is unknown, but the Watertown firefighters are expected to be okay.

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