Two weekend fires displace more than 20 people in Dorchester and Jamaica Plain

Two fires in multi-family buildings this weekend forced more than 20 people from their homes in Dorchester and Jamaica Plain. Here is what fire officials have said, and what the City Council has on its list about the Fire Department.

Saturday: Kerwin Street, Dorchester

Fire broke out on the first floor of a three-decker at 24 Kerwin St. around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, trapping people on the second floor, the Dorchester Reporter reported. The Boston Fire Department said crews got calls about people trapped above the fire, and two ladder companies made several rescues from a rear porch. A second alarm was struck within minutes.

• Injuries. Three people were taken to the hospital by EMS, NBC Boston reported. Their conditions were not released.
• Displaced. Eight adults and three children, according to NBC Boston. The Red Cross was on scene to help.
• Damage. More than $500,000, fire officials estimated.
• Cause. Under investigation.

Sunday: Boylston Street, Jamaica Plain

On Sunday morning, Nov. 1, crews were called to a six-unit building at 211 Boylston St. in Jamaica Plain and quickly knocked down a fire at the rear, NBC Boston reported. While checking for hidden fire, firefighters found that the rear walls were structurally unstable, the department said. About a dozen people were displaced, and it was not clear when they could return. No injuries or cause had been reported as of Sunday.

What our records add

The council does not investigate individual fires, but several items about the Fire Department are before it:

• Turnout gear. City Councilor Miniard Culpepper filed an order in May for a hearing on cancer-causing chemicals in firefighters' protective gear and a switch to PFAS-free replacements (docket 1057). It has been in the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee for 165 days.
• Grants. City Councilor Henry Santana (at-large) called for a hearing on all grants the Fire Department administers (docket 0400). A hearing was held April 1, and the order remains in committee.
• Recent spending. On Oct. 28 the council voted to accept a $760,000 state earmark for the department's hazardous materials response team (docket 2027), as we reported.

Mayor Michelle Wu appointed Rodney Marshall as fire commissioner effective May 1, according to a notice filed with the council (docket 0852).

What's next

Boston Fire investigators will work to determine the cause of both fires. Residents displaced by a fire can contact the Red Cross for emergency help. The council's Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee has not posted a hearing date for the turnout-gear order.