Four-Alarm Fire Engulfs Turtle Tavern, Apartments

A large four-alarm fire tore through a multi-floor building on Main Street in downtown Milford, Massachusetts, Monday late afternoon into evening, engulfing the Turtle Tavern restaurant on the first floor and apartments above and prompting a major multi-agency response and street closures between Jefferson and Pearl streets. Milford Fire Chief Mark Nelson said the blaze — first reported in the late afternoon with reports of smoke from a wood stove — caused extensive damage, leaving the building uninhabitable and likely a total loss. Police, who arrived first because many fire resources were working an interstate crash, evacuated six adults and two children; one officer was injured while assisting residents. Firefighters from neighboring towns including Franklin and Hopkinton provided mutual aid as crews battled flames visible from the roof, and authorities urged the public to avoid the area. Neighbors and business owners described the Turtle as a community hub, and recovery and support efforts are expected for the family-owned restaurant and those displaced.