A raging fire ripped through a restaurant and bar in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood early Wednesday morning, and investigators have not ruled out the possibility that it may be a case of arson.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which broke out just before midnight at The Squealing Pig on Smith Street — less than an hour after closing.
New video obtained by NBC10 Boston shows a man inside the restaurant, which has smashed windows, while flames erupt. It's raising questions about whether it was intentionally set.
"I heard glass breaking," said Jack Sharkey, who reported the fire.
Sharkey was across the street and noticed commotion before any sign of flames or smoke.
"At first, I thought it was someone breaking into a car, and then I looked out, and the restaurant across the street had all its windows shattered," Sharkey said. "And then the lights turned on, and somebody was trying to start a fire in there, and then there was just fire coming out of the windows."
Fire officials told NBC10 Boston an arson team had been dispatched.
"Heavy fire was pushing out of the front windows," Boston Deputy Fire Chief Michael Hocking said. "A heavy volume of fire had pushed across the street and already melted a couple of cars."
Former Squealing Pig employee Peter Martinez, who worked there for over two years, said it was "devastating" to see the fire. He says he last worked at the pub six months ago and was questioned by investigators Wednesday morning.
"At first, I thought it was someone breaking into a car, and then I looked out, and the restaurant across the street had all its windows shattered," Sharkey said. "And then the lights turned on, and somebody was trying to start a fire in there, and then there was just fire coming out of the windows."
It took firefighters about 15 minutes to extinguish the flames. The inside of the business was completely charred.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
