Thick, black smoke from an eight-alarm fire coated a Boston neighborhood Friday morning, significantly cutting down visibility, and forcing firefighters to enlist the help of a drone to spot flames spreading inside the building.
The fire began early Friday at 185 Corey Road in Boston, just north of Brookline’s Washington Square, the Boston Fire Department said. But throughout the morning, as fire crews were ordered out of the building, and as heavy smoke clouded the surrounding area, firefighters deployed a drone to help direct water toward flames inside the building. The drone provided an overhead view for officials to spot areas still burning within the building. Even when smoke covered the view, the drone’s heat-sensitive camera allowed firefighters to peer past the plumes and find flames that hadn’t been extinguished.