Boston Fire and EMS were called to 1 Congress Street for a fire in the new State Street Building this morning at approximately 10:30 hours. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation by Boston Fire and Police FIU.
The fire reportedly broke out on the 20th floor and spread to the 19th and 21st floors of the building. Firefighters entered the building and put out the fire eventually. Everyone was evacuated with two victims seen by EMS and one was transported with a minor injuries. Sources on scene tell us about 400 construction workers were on site when the fire broke out.
Multiple streets in the area have been closed by BPD due to structural concerns with the worksite which includes the old government center garage. MBTA busses were diverted and train service was halted to the station just days ago due to concerns over the stability of the Tunnles.
Government Center was closed yesterday for severely deteriorated columns from years of water damage. This has lead the Orange Line and Green Line to be shut down all over downtown Boston. Shuttle busses have replaced those trains but since the fire broke out they have been rerouted once again.
Back in March, a 51-year old-construction worker is dead after the excavator he was operating came crashing down during a partial collapse of the parking garage. The site reopened just days after the incident. In that case, the MBTA also closed the tunnels and train service, however at that time they said there were no concerns with the tunnel stability.
MBTA has been trying to fix the issues with the T but have struggled to do so. It has lead the Feds to be involved. The MBTA has also made severe cuts to service after the directives from the Feds cited numerous safety concerns.
As for this latest incident, many have just become frustrated with the entire construction project as well as the bad MBTA service. One man who asked to only be identified as Steven and works in the area told us, “It’s just too much, this is now hurting people and their ability to get to work, have a life and for what? Some overpriced condos that don’t benefit anyone besides some rich pricks? These construction companies and the politicians who let them do what ever they want need to be investigated.”
