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Brookline mansion goes up in flames

Brookline, Boston, Cambridge and Newton firefighters responded to 90 Sargent Rd. in Brookline, just north of Jamaica Pond, around 10:40 a.m. for what turned into a three-alarm fire in a 13,000-square foot house.

Firefighters were ordered out of part of the house just before part of the roof and one of its chimneys collapsed shortly before 11:50 a.m. - when heavy fire was still reported in the attic.

The Brookline Fire Department reports all five residents got out safely and that there were no injuries.

The department reports the cause is under investigation, but that "at this time it does not appear to be suspicious."

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Comments

Its always sad to hear when anyone's house goes up in flames and people are displaced.

But what the heck does someone do in a 13000 sq foot house... and why so big? Even a family of 4 would have a hard time making use of such space. Maybe stay in a different room each week? That's enough space for 26 studio apartments...

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Next we can speculate about the insurance payout.

btw what’s with all the fires lately.

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Late summer and through the fall we had a drought with a lot of dry, windy conditions. Dry stuff ignites and combusts faster.

Recent arctic vortex weather means that people were putting a lot of stress on heating systems, possibly straining their electrical systems with space heaters.

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I’m hearing this as sarcasm for Earth First. I could be wrong.

Just the facts.

We had a drought and that dries stuff out.

First cold snap is when a lot of people make bad decisions with space heater placement or find out their electrical system can't take the load and/or discover their heating system isn't going to make it this year.

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Just being cheeky. (Riffing off others’ comments on causes: insurance fire, and calling for replacing a mansion with high-occupancy hence my cheek.)

Your assessment is reasonable: dry, excessively cold. And, of course it was occupied (I assume by rightful persons,) so less likely insurance scam (but who knows), and not likely eco-terrorism (again, being cheeky). Though the fact it’s a mansion makes me dubious about space-heaters and poor upkeep of heating system, but maybe old wiring…?, some other risky behavior?

It may not be as common as it was, but there are families with more than four people, especially if there are multiple generations living together.

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And not all families are the traditional genetically related type family.

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Don't be a size queen, it's not a good look for you.

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Live and Let Live?

Imagine living somewhere that JP's Pondside neighborhood would be the wrong side of the tracks.

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They are different from you and me.

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Beautiful house. I feel for them. It must be just heartbreaking

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is what makes the world go 'round.

is a private community. Sargent Estates -- they're private roads although I think you can drive and walk there.

...there's no Google street view....