The blackened shell of a three-story apartment building that until Tuesday housed at least 21 people of all ages remained standing on Wednesday — surrounded by yellow tape — some 24 hours after a fast-moving fire sent them fleeing into the early morning cold.

The building at 108-110 Ash St. was one of three damaged by the fire, which reached six alarms, primarily due to its sheer magnitude and its potential to spread even farther in a tight neighborhood where some buildings sit just feet from one another.

Fire Chief Steve Buxton said Wednesday that members of the Fire Marshal’s office began their investigation Tuesday, and worked through the day Wednesday, documenting evidence they’d collected and photographs they took throughout the buildings.

“It’s still very early,” Buxton said of th

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