New Bedford Weld Street Fire Leaves 13 Homeless

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — A fire on New Bedford's Weld Street destroyed a three-family apartment and displaced 13 people Thursday.

The New Bedford Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post that at 7:49 p.m. on July 6 that crews received 911 calls of a fire that extended to the roof of a three-family dwelling on 259 Weld Street.

Fire crews rushed to the scene and brought in two hose lines to put out the fire on the third floor and attic. 

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The blaze was extinguished, but extensive fire and water damage to the apartment made it uninhabitable, according to the fire department.

The Special Signal Fire Association and Providence Canteen provided support on scene along with City of New Bedford Police Department, New Bedford EMS and NBEMA.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

The tenants evacuated the building after the fire alarms were activated. No injuries were reported, but the fire department said a cat was reported missing.

The department believes the cat escaped the building.

The eight adults and five children who were displaced by the fire are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross of Massachusetts.