South Station fire in Boston prompts heavy response – NBC Boston

Multiple fire department vehicles responded to South Station in Boston on Tuesday morning for a fire at a construction site above the busy transportation center.

The incident was reported shortly after 8:30 a.m. Photos from the scene showed a ladder truck with ladder extended outside South Station, along with a second fire department vehicle.

WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

The MBTA said in a social media post shortly after 9 a.m. that the large Boston Fire Department presence was due to a reported fire at a construction site above South Station. They said the situation is contained, and there is no impact to Red Line, Silver Line or Commuter Rail service.

Bus routes 7 and 11 are no longer detoured, the MBTA said on social media at about 10:30 a.m.

There is a large @BostonFire presence at South Station due to a reported fire at a construction site above the Station. The situation is contained, and there is no impact to Red Line, Silver Line or @MBTA_CR service. Bus routes 7 + 11 are detoured.

The Boston Fire Department said in a social media post around 9:40 a.m. that the fire involved construction materials on the outside deck of the ninth floor of a building under construction at 700 Atlantic Ave. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Companies working at a fire of construction materials on the outside deck of the 9th floor of a building under construction at 700 Atlantic Ave. No injuries to report. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. pic.twitter.com/5sBpElaJfY

Suffolk, the company doing the work on the project, released a statement Tuesday morning saying the fire was caused by union iron workers at J.F. Stearns, who were welding tube steel. They said fire watchers were at the job site and were able to extinguish the fire.

No one was injured.

Suffolk said they announced a safety standdown for all workers on the South Station project and voluntarily shut down the job site for a comprehensive safety audit.

"We will be redoubling safety protocols and reviewing the safety plans and procedures of every subcontractor on the jobsite," they said.

The company said they have called a mandatory meeting with the union, subcontractor and Suffolk leadership on Tuesday afternoon to reinforce the importance of safety.

Tuesday's incident comes less than three weeks after a steel beam fell more than 20 stories from the $1.5 billion skyscraper being built over South Station, temporarily shutting down construction. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.

No one was injured, but the beam did shatter a pair of windows in the tower and scattered debris on the roadway. Had the beam reached the ground, officials have said it would likely have hit commuters.