Patio grilling believed as cause of Quincy fire

QUINCY, Mass. -- Flames tore over a Quincy apartment around 11 p.m. Saturday night after, police believe, a resident was grilling on her patio.

Firefighters say once the flames hit the open attic, the whole 24-unit building was essentially gone.

The building itself will have to be torn down. Ed Fenby, deputy chief of the Quincy Fire Department, cited the construction of the building.

"There's a single attic for the whole building," he said. "Once fire gets in there, there's no stopping it."

The building's tenants aren't supposed to use grills -- especially not charcoal grills -- on balconies or patios, according to Jared Coffin, one of the building's residents.

Residents left the building safely, leaving behind all of their personal belongings.

"Flames were starting to come in through the walls," Coffin said. "It just went up like a matchbook."

Though one firefighter suffered an injury and was taken to a local hospital, no one was severely hurt by the fire. The Red Cross is helping residents find places to sleep for the night.

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