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Boston Firefighters Probe Massive Warehouse Blaze

A firefighter walks past the scene of a nine-alarm fire at a warehouse in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston on Sunday. (AP)
A firefighter walks past the scene of a nine-alarm fire at a warehouse in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston on Sunday. (AP)

An investigation into what some officials say was the biggest fire in Boston in decades is getting under way.

About 170 firefighters from across the city battled the nine-alarm blaze that razed a vacant warehouse in the city's Roxbury neighborhood. The fire was reported on Saturday night and was not completely out until Sunday afternoon. The blaze caused an estimated $750,000 in damage.

As of Monday afternoon, investigators had not yet entered the smoldering remains.

"We'll do interviews and things of that nature from people, eyewitnesses and so forth, which we do have," Fire Lt. Hank Sheridan said. "Before we can determine an origin, we'll need a crane here to make the building somewhat safe."

Chief Eric Pattaway said no one was hurt during the fire — but he called firefighters out of one of the buildings just moments before it collapsed.

"As this wall came down, we weren't here, I don't even think five minutes," Pettaway said. "And it just missed some members."

Warehouse owner Candeloro Maggio Jr. says he used to run a frozen food storage business at the site but shut the operation down about three years ago because chunks of concrete from a six-story building next door kept falling on his building.

He says he told the city, but nothing was done.

A spokeswoman for the mayor's office said Maggio's claims will be investigated.

This program aired on August 23, 2010. The audio for this program is not available.

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