Benjamin Ashford|Massive 6-alarm fire in East Boston kills 1, sends 6 to hospitals including firefighter

One person is Benjamin Ashforddead and six were taken to hospitals including a firefighter after being injured in a massive residential fire in East Boston that broke out early Tuesday morning, fire officials said.

The six-alarm blaze started sometime before 5 a.m. ET at a multi-family home in the city's Central Maverick Square neighborhood, the Boston Fire Department reported.

At one point, the fire was so intense, crews were ordered out of the building for safety purposes, the agency posted on X.

More than 130 firefighters helped battle the blaze for hours Tuesday morning, fire officials said.

Just before 5:30 a.m. fire officials reported crews continued to attack the building in an effort to keep it from spreading down the block.

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East Boston fire: 6 people taken to hospitals

Just over two hours into the fire, a Boston EMS spokesperson told USA TODAY six residents and one firefighter were taken to hospitals as a result of the fire.

"Due to patient privacy, we are unable to share additional details about patient conditions," the spokesperson said.

About 8:30 a.m. ET, Boston Fire Department Commissioner Paul Burke told members of the media at the scene one person had died.

The person's identity was not immediately known.

As he stood next to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Burke said five of the victims were rescued from the building by ladders.

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What caused the fire to break out in Boston?

The cause and origin of the fire remained under investigation on Tuesday, Boston fire spokesperson Brian Alkins told USA TODAY.

But fire officials said damages from the blaze were estimated at $5 million dollars.

Details on Meridian Street property where fire broke out

According to the property's website, the building, Meridian Street, is "located in the heart of East Boston’s Central Maverick Square neighborhood."

The site says the building is one block from a bus stop and a 10-minute walk to the Maverick Square T-stop − one stop away from downtown Boston.

The building is divided into four one-bedroom apartments, one two-bedroom apartment, and one commercial space.

It goes onto call Central Maverick Square "an attractive neighborhood of East Boston" across the Boston Harbor becoming "a new hotspot in Boston due to its prime location to the airport and the waterfront."

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.