Fire Rips Through Brand New Homes in Ryal Side

Two new homes still under construction were destroyed and a total of six homes were affected in some way during an inferno on a hilltop in the Ryal Side neighborhood of Beverly on Sunday night.

No injuries were reported in the three-alarm blaze.

The fire, reported at 29 Folger Ave. at about 9:30 p.m., was under control about 75 minutes later. It was later determined that the address of the original fire was 36 Folger Ave.

The fire was visible from a distance, with Tweets showing the fire from River Street in Beverly, the Kernwood Bridge and Salem Willows.

Several of the homes on the dead-end street in a newer development called Bass River Estates were evacuated. The fire spread to a portion of a neighboring home that was occupied but was stopped in the garage area. Embers blew off the fire and were the wet down by fire crews in the neighborhood.

Firefighters from several other communities were at the scene assisting Beverly crews, including those from Danvers, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Salem.

In the past year, similar homes to the home that was destroyed have sold for between $509,000 and $655,000.