The fire produced a cloud of black smoke

The fire produced a cloud of black smoke so dense the only visible thing at one point this afternoon was the red flashing lights on the responding fire
trucks.
On Beacon Street, firefighters threw ladders against the building, and clambered up them to direct streams of water into the brownstone. Firefighters could
be seen walking on the roofs of nearby buildings.

Around 4:30 p.m., a police officer ordered reporters and others gathered on Beacon Street to move down the street because the fire scene was now deemed a
crime scene.
“We have someone badly hurt over here!’’ the officer shouted at people.
The incident played out during today’s turbulent weather, with strong winds generated by a storm passing along the coast. Shortly before 3 p.m., around the
time the fire was reported, winds were recorded as blowing at 32 miles per hour at Logan International Airport, gusting to 45. At around 4 p.m., as the fire
continued to rage, winds were blowing at 28 miles per hour and gusting to 39 miles per hour.

The fire continued to produce white smoke late into the afternooon, hours after the original alarm.

Those injured were taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Martin, the EMS spokesman, said.

The last time a Boston firefighter was killed in the line of duty was on Jan. 9, 2009, when the brakes on the Ladder 26 truck failed and the vehicle crashed
into a Mission Hill building, killing Fire Lieutenant Kevin M. Kelley.

According to city assessing records, 298 Beacon is a four-story multi-unit apartment building currently valued at $1.6 million.

Beacon Street from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Ave. was closed this afternoon, Boston police said. Storrow Drive was intermittently closed. Police
asked people to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.