SMOKE ON THE WATER
Fire in homeless camp forces closure of Mass. Ave. bridge
The Massachusetts Avenue bridge was temporarily shut down Thursday after a fire state police believe was caused by mattresses at a homeless encampment under the span sent billows of smoke across the heavily trafficked connector and onto parts of Storrow Drive. At about 11 a.m. Thursday, state police confirmed in a tweet that an investigation revealed the fire was at a “homeless encampment” under the bridge and that no injuries had been reported. Police initially believed it was a car fire that caused the smoke. State police and fire marshals were on scene investigating the area under the bridge before it was reopened to traffic sometime after 11 a.m., with just one lane closed. The bridge closure occurred just a few days after the state Department of Transportation removed spikes underneath the Route 2 overpass in Arlington following outrage and claims that the installments, meant to deter trespassing, targeted groups of homeless wanderers who sought shelter there. In a statement, MassDOT spokesman Patrick Marvin said about the bridge closure: “Preliminary reports from bridge inspectors indicate no immediate safety concerns and information continues to be gathered to determine if any future repair work will be necessary.” Marvin deferred to law enforcement when asked whether the encampments were a recurring problem, adding that the organization’s focus is “more on the infrastructure,” and that inspectors told MassDOT there were no safety concerns with the bridge itself. State police did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment. At about noon, the Massachusetts State Police Twitter account tweeted: “#MAtraffic Fire under Mass Ave Bridge believed to have involved mattresses. Engineers to use X-ray to check for structural damage. Debris fell between east & west lanes of Storrow, which is open. On bridge, 2 lanes open Boston to Cambridge, 1 lane open Cambridge to Boston.” Jim O’Connell, president of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, said some homeless people seeking shelter from the elements historically have slept under the Massachusetts Avenue bridge at Storrow Drive, although in recent years, there have been few who spend the night there. O’Connell said he hopes Thursday’s incident doesn’t build ill will among the public toward the homeless. “When you get to know these people, you realize many of them have suffered unspeakable trauma,” he said. “We have to not blame them for the scarcity of affordable housing.”