House Fire May Have Been Arson

BOSTON -- A fire that drove a family out of their Dorchester home Monday may have been deliberately set.

NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that four-alarm fire broke out at a three-family home on Powellton Road just before 5 a.m., fire officials said.

House Fire May Have Been Arson

"On arrival, they had heavy fire rolling up the front of the building," Boston Fire Department Deputy Chief David Mager said. "We had the company right around the corner. They could see the fire coming down the street. The immediately struck a second alarm. Early on in the fire, the front porch collapsed over the main entrance."

The porch collapsed just after residents escaped. Neighbors watched in disbelief.

"They lost everything they had. They were asleep in the house, and then all of a sudden, someone smelled smoke and they had to get up and run for their lives," one neighbor said.

The house was occupied by two adults and five children.

"My sister woke me up. I guess she was saying that the lady downstairs was saying, 'There is a fire! There is a fire!" fire victim Michelle Dyette said. "We ran downstairs and opened the door, and I guess it was right there. We had to go back up the back way."