By Rob Tokanel

A four-alarm fire destroyed a one-story commercial building in the Fenway area Tuesday morning, causing an estimated $5 million in damage and injuring two firefighters.

Officers responded to a radio call to Thornton’s Fenway Grille, an eatery on the corner of Peterborough and Kilmarnock Street, at 1:56 a.m., where the flames had already engulfed the establishment and were spreading to adjacent businesses, said Boston Police Department spokesperson Eddy Chrispin.

Boston police closed down the street and established a perimeter as the fire department and arson squad arrived to extinguish the blaze.

“I looked out the window and at that point there were already about 10 firetrucks. They had the ladders and they were already shooting the water into the buildings,” said local resident David Tonchek. “Everything is totally destroyed.”

Two firefighters were taken to the hospital after slipping on the fast-freezing water from the firehoses, and a temporary shelter was arranged for about 40 people due to heavy smoke in an apartment building at 82 Peterborough Street, Chrispin said.

Boston Fire Department spokesperson Steven MacDonald said about 110 people were evacuated from that building and sought refuge in the McKinley Public School across the street, where they had access to restrooms and heat. Most were allowed to re-enter their apartments later in the day.

In all, seven buildings were destroyed, six of which were restaurants, MacDonald said. The restaurants included Umi, Sorento’s Italian Gourmet, El Pelon Taqueria, Greek Isles, Rod Dee Thai II Fenway and Thornton’s Fenway Grill. A dry cleaning business was also destroyed.

MacDonald said the building will remain vacant for at least a year, and that he expects the businesses to be displaced while they sort out issues with insurance companies.

Trish Gardner, a long time friend of the owners of Thornton’s Grille who has lived in the Fenway neighborhood for 18 years, said she couldn’t believe what she saw on television the morning of the fire.

“We all went to Thorntons – the neighborhood folk – and I’d say seniors go to this place at least once a week,” said Gardner. “This is a complete disaster.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, MacDonald said.

– News staff Mike Napolitano contributed to this report.