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Plymouth Street in Cambridge reopens after huge fire

One of the streets blocked off during a massive fire in Cambridge last weekend has reopened.

Plymouth Street was shut down while firefighters battled a 10-alarm blaze Saturday, and the extensive damage to several buildings in the area forced the street to remain closed this past week.

Traffic reopened Friday morning on the cross street, which was near the source of the fire. The open street is a welcome sign in that neighborhood, but residents tell us they still have a long way to go.

“I just walked through and was just dreading to see what I might see,” Sarah Roche-Mahdi said.

Her daughter lives on Plymouth Street. She can see the burned out St. Patrick’s church from her doorstep.

“I think everyone, including my daughter, is very upset for the suffering of the other people. I think there’s a feeling of guilt and lot of stress,” Roche-Mahdi said.

Almost a week after the fire, there is still a strong smell of ksmoke through the neighborhood.

While Plymouth Street reopened to cars Friday morning, the barricades were left up on Berkshire Street, where the damage was most severe.

Street sweepers and professional clean-up crews continued to pick up what was left Friday morning and homeowners told FOX25 many of the buildings have damage not visible to pedestrians.

Manuel Chades has lived on Plymouth Street for 23 years; a crew was inside cleaning up the smoke damage on his walls Friday morning.

“What can I do? Nothing,” Chades said.

William Hanley says he expects to see a lot more traffic on his street because so many others remain closed.

“It’s a great neighborhood. I hope it can thrive again, and very soon,” Roche-Mahdi said.

At least 16 buildings and more than a dozen cars were badly damaged.

Police on the scene said there’s an underground parking garage beneath the church that still has cars submerged in all that water from the fire departments' hoses.