An early morning apartment fire in Newton affected as many as 13 apartments and sent approximately eight people to an area hospital for treatment.
According to authorities, on Dec. 12th, Newton Police received a 9-1-1 call reporting a visible fire coming out one of the windows of an apartment on the 10th floor of 33 Mill Street, Brookside Terrace Apartments.
Upon arrival, it was determined that apartment 10T, which was visible from the front of the complex, was fully engulfed. Newton Police officers immediately determined that the lone resident of the affected apartment was accounted for and uninjured as she was not present inside her apartment at the time of the fire. However, her cat did not survive.
Officials say as responding patrols were in the process of evacuating neighboring residents on the 9th and 10th floor due to the active fire and a heavy smoke condition, the Newton Fire Department responded to the scene.
Subsequently, responding fire departments were able to extinguish the fire within an hour of their arrival as the residents of the building were evacuated and relocated to the Newton #1 Firehouse at 22 Mill Street, across the street from the complex.
As a result of the fire, eight patients were transported to the Newton Medical Center for treatment. All patients were eventually released, police added.
According to authorities, approximately 13 apartments were affected by the fire and remain uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage.
The investigation has located the origin of the fire but its cause is undetermined.