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Overnight fire in Belmont destroys home, displaces 10

BELMONT, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A fire that began just after midnight Wednesday in Belmont has destroyed the home and displaced the people who lived there, all home at the time of the fire.

The three-alarm fire broke out on Marlboro Street in an occupied multi-family home. Flames were heavy fire on the third floor, shooting through the roof. As the fire raged, the roof collapsed into the building, rear porches burned off of the house, and the heat of the flames began to melt the siding of neighboring homes.

All firefighters were ordered out of the building to continue fighting the flames from outside. It was extinguished later in the morning, though fire crews were still on scene at 5 a.m.

All residents were accounted for, and no occupants or firefighters sustained injuries. Nine residents of the building were home at the time, and an additional resident was out of town at the time of the fire.

The American Red Cross responded to the home to help all displaced residents.

In addition to the destroyed home at 58 Marlboro St., five cars were damaged, and four of the neighboring homes have minor burns and melted vinyl siding, said Belmont Fire Chief David Frizzel.

"Both buildings on either side of the main fire building start to burn," Frizzel said. "The fire in the main building, as it evolved, developed  radiant heat. The radiant heat started the houses on either side burning, and it just got worse from there."

Fire officials will investigate the cause of the fire.