UPDATED: Chestnut Hill Tower Evacuated After Basement Fire

Updated 9:33 p.m. Nancy Rowe, the director of communications for the Eastern Mass. Region of the Red Cross, reported this evening up 50 to elderly are expected to use the shelter that was set up at Newton South High School.

Rowe said the Red Cross is providing snacks, water, consultation as well as registration for those using the shelter.

Many residents of the towers are finding shelter with friends and family.

Family members who may be wondering if their family member has checked into the shelter can use the Red Cross' Safe and Well online service.

5:50 p.m. According to scanner reports, Newton Fire called a third alarm for the towers in order to bring in more manpower to assist with evacuations of the buildings. 

5:42 p.m. Rowe reports that the Red Cross will partner with the city to open a shelter at . It will be a city-run shelter, Rowe said, and the Red Cross is still waiting to hear what "level of partnership" and the amount of supplies the city will need at the shelter.

Rowe said there are currently 50 people in the lobby of the tower that will likely need the shelter, however, that number will probably grow once more people are evacuated from the north tower and people arrive home from work.

Right now Rowe said the Red Cross is currently providing water and snacks for those residents in the lobby. 

According to scanner reports around 5:30 p.m., firefighters were checking rooms floor-by-floor to make sure residents were evacuated. The department also planned to call Waltham Fire Department to ask for additional lighting to light up the stairwells in the north tower. 

5:17 p.m. According to scanner reports, the Red Cross has arrived on scene to assist with the evacuated residents. The Fire Department is currently evacuating residents from the north tower.

4:43 p.m. Newton Fire Department community liaison officials said a second alarm has been struck in order to bring in "more manpower" to the scene.

Some assistance is needed to evacuate the residents out of the buildings, which do not have power, as well as check floors and rooms for anyone else that might still be inside.

Officials also said the extra manpower will also help relieve some of the firefighters who have been working on scene for most of the afternoon.

Rowe said this afternoon that the Red Cross is "on standby" at the moment, waiting to hear what the city needs in terms of assistance for displaced residents. Some blankets had been requested, though, Rowe said.

Around 4:30 p.m., the scanner reported requests for a lighting trailer to be on the scene as well as the city electrical inspector. 

3:03 p.m. The scene at the Chestnut Hill Towers is still very active, and fire officials say they are waiting for NStar to cut the power from the outside. 

Brookline Engine 6 responded to the scene as well as Cataldo EMS to assist with several evacuations, which included assisting many elderly tennants and carrying some residents who were unable to walk. 

2:58 p.m.  According to Fire Department officials, around 200 people will need to be relocated because of the fire at Chestnut Hill Towers. The Red Cross is currently helping out with finding a place for the displaced residents, officials said.

2:48 p.m. The scanner reports said around 2:30 p.m. today about 250 people were evacuated from the South Tower.

1:52 p.m. According to the , the fire in the transformer is under control. NStar workers and the building's management staff are also on-scene, with the firefighters investigating the situation.

According to scanner reports, an electrical fire in the basement of one of the buildings forced residents of the South Tower to evacuate. 

The fire call came in around 1:15 p.m. and reports said the tower had lost power. 

Reports said as of 1:30 p.m. the fire was not out but contained.

Stay tuned to Newton Patch for more updates and photos from the scene. 

Stephen Walsh contributed to this report.