Brookline Fire Chief John Sullivan Details Route 9 Blaze, Boston Explosion
A boston explosion ripped through East Coast Divers on Route 9 in Brookline, Massachusetts, after a fire spread into compressed air tanks on the shop’s first floor on May 28, 2026. One employee suffered minor burns and one firefighter was hurt while attacking the blaze.
Brookline Fire Chief John Sullivan said the fire started in the back area of the shop and that seven residents were displaced after crews cleared the building. The department also rescued a cat from the second floor.
John Sullivan on Route 9
Sullivan said the flames caused multiple compressed air cannisters to explode. He said the tanks were not full oxygen tanks, adding, “Oxygen is very flammable. Obviously, there is oxygen in air, but the quantity is 23%,” during his description of the fire risk.
Mike Williams, who works at East Coast Divers, described the evacuation from the upstairs apartments: “We got everybody from the upstairs apartments out quick as well,” he said. He added, “We banged on the door and got everybody out from upstairs. There were only two people upstairs as far as I know.”
East Coast Divers and seven residents
Sullivan said five residents were in town when the fire happened and another two were away, leaving all seven displaced. The shop sits on the first floor of the building, and the fire department saved the cat from the second floor before it spread further.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. Sullivan said the fire started in the back area of the shop, but he did not identify what ignited it.
Brookline season and fundraiser
Williams said the fire hit as the shop was entering its busiest period. “This is the start of our season. Our season is only like three months long, so we try to do as much as we can in the short period we have,” he said.
A customer started an online fundraiser to support the business, and it raised more than $2,000 just hours after the fire hit. Tommy Vitolo, the Massachusetts state representative, said, “We tend to only remember the importance of our emergency responders for days like today,” and added, “Fortunately, Brookline was thinking about our emergency response earlier in May when we voted to raise our taxes in an override to maintain services.”
The injury count, the displacement of seven residents, and the damage to a business in its short season leave East Coast Divers facing repairs and lost time while investigators work through the cause.
