3 injured, 15 displaced after Providence house fire

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Fifteen people were left without a home after a fire in Providence that sent three to the hospital.

The fire started on Monticello Street around 11 a.m. Friday.

“I just saw smoke and I looked and I saw the flames coming up off the second floor,” neighbor Tom St. Laurent said.

More than 50 firefighters responded to the scene.

“It’s a very large building, there’s six dwelling units there,” Battalion Chief Douglas Degnan said. “Reported possibly people trapped in the building as well.”

The fire spread fast from the second to the third floor, and firefighters said they had a difficult time due to the size of the building.

“It was a lot of work to get in there and get enough firefighters in the building to put that fire out,” Degnan said.

Officials said two residents and a firefighter were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

“Around the holiday season, you can’t ask for anything worse,” St. Laurent said. “It’s heartbreaking to be honest with you.”

Two pets died in the fire, according to officials, who said the cause is still under investigation.