On Tuesday, December 11, a two-alarm fire at 534 Columbus Avenue displaced 29 residents and caused about $750,000 in damage, according to Boston Fire Department (BFD) spokesperson Marc Sanders. The building, which has 15 residential units and the Cha Cha Cha beauty salon on the ground floor, was occupied when the fire broke out.

Two firefighters incurred non-life-threatening injuries, but all occupants and pets were unharmed and were evacuated safely. The fire was located primarily in the back of the building. The fire was called in at 2:40 PM as smoke rose from the upper floors of the building, with Engine 7 and Ladder 17 from the Columbus Avenue firehouse the first to arrive.

Contractors were working on the exterior of the building, and the Fire Investigative Unit questioned workers on the scene as well as building residents and the cause of the fire is undetermined as of press time. Sanders said that Cha Cha Cha sustained water damage.

Columbus Avenue was blocked off until approximately 5:30 PM as a Public Works Department crew sanded and salted the street, which iced over with water from the fire hoses. South End/Bay Village liaison came to the scene on behalf of the Office of Neighborhood Services, which along with the BFD's Victim Assistance Unit and the Red Cross will help residents of the building find lodging and other resources.