Compost blamed for East Boston house fire

A composting barrel got hot enough to start a two-alarm fire that did an estimated $150,000 in damage to an East Boston house today, the Boston Fire Department reports.

Firefighters arrived at 1215 Bennington St., across from the Suffolk Downs T stop, around 1:15 p.m. to find flames climbing up the rear of the house. Firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof when they discovered the fire had spread inside the house.

Fire investigators have determined a composting barrel against the house caused the fire in East Boston.

The decomposing of the material in the barrel generated enough heat over time to ignite.

There were no injuries, the department says.