Three-alarm fire in Tremont Street apartment building

Shattered window at Tremont Street fire scene. Photo by BFD.

UPDATE: The Fire Department reports investigators have determined the cause to be - you are sitting down: Careless disposal of a cigarette.

A fire in a 25th-floor apartment at Tremont on the Common, 151 Tremont St., sparked a three-alarm response as firefighters raced upstairs to evacuate residents, some of whom took refuge on their balconies.

The Boston Fire Department reports the fire, which broke out shortly after noon, was confined to one apartment but that smoke filled the upper floors. Firefighters used a freight elevator to evacuate residents in the 378-unit building.

The department says the fire did an estimated $300,000 in damage and that the cause is still under investigation. One firefighter suffered cuts on his face, the department says.

As you might expect, Tremont Street itself was completely shut down between Park and Boylston streets.

The scene on Tremont Street. Photo by BFD.