Police and fire officials continue to investigate the massive fire that displaced 125 people in East Cambridge over the weekend.
Cambridge fire and police have ruled out arson as a cause and are following their hunch that a construction-related accident in a building that was being renovated at or near 35-37 Berkshire Street may be the culprit.
Cambridge Inspectional Services Commissioner Ranjit Singanayagam issued the renovation permit for the building.
“Yes, we have the permit that was granted to them for interior demolition,” he said. “It was signed off by all of the inspectors and we know who the contractor is. We’re in touch with him, too.”
The contractor, Daddy Construction of Boston, refused to comment until the state police and Cambridge fire complete their investigation. The property’s paperwork outlines a renovation contract for more than $400,000. Singanayagam said the permit seems to describe a construction process known as “gut rehab.”
“That means gutting the inside and rehab the whole building,” he said.
The fire ravaged the structure that is suspected to have been the site of the fire's ignition.
So far, three other buildings on the street have been demolished and Singanayagam says the third and second floors of buildings at both 28 and 30 Berkshire Street will also be taken down.
But these aren’t just buildings. They’re homes where people lived and raised their families, and the community is coming together to help those who no longer have place to call home.
Neighbors and strangers have donated more than $450,000 to the GoFundMe page for Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmon’s Fire Relief Fund. Simmons is also working to get those displaced into other housing. In the meantime, they remain in shelters set up by the Red Cross or with friends and family.
One woman, an immigrant named Yvonne, had been staying at a hotel since losing her home in the fire. Her home was where she had found refuge from domestic abuse. She became emotional upon encountering and embracing Mayor Simmons at Cambridge City Hall on Monday.
“I’m hanging in there,” Yvonnne said between tears.
Simmons is confident that the city will be able to find housing for the displaced families.
“Some of our private developers are saying ‘we have these units, we’re willing to try to work out some arrangements.’ We have 11 units that are affordable that we’re holding right now,” she said.
Ironically, the rushed development of multiple units in Cambridge may have been an indirect factor behind the fire. WGBH News previously spoke with resident David Tucker about the rapid renovation of the units at 35-37 Berkshire Street.
“They were trying to get this done in a hurry,” he said. “They had no sides to the building, it was just a wood frame. People in the neighborhood are talking.”
Rodrigo Garcia, who lives near the suspected building and was there when the fire began, noticed the flood of renovations in the neighborhood.
“We were home when it started and two houses down was in flames,” he said. “This one just got renovated, on the other side of this blue house they had been working on it for quite some time as well, and I don’t know if that structure got a lot of damage but the one next to it also was being worked on and it got burned down as well.”
Demolition and cleanup are expected to take weeks. Electricity has been cut for the homes that no longer sit along Berskhire, leaving a dark reminder of the fire—right in the midst of the holiday season.
