Massachusetts Fire Forces Evacuation, Closes Schools

A huge fire fanned by high winds ravaged a historic renovated mill complex Monday, closing schools and forcing the temporary evacuation of 700 people from their homes.

One firefighter was hospitalized in battling the blaze, which shot flames up to 100 feet high, cost 650 people their jobs and did $10 million in damage, Mayor Carlton Viveiros said.

The fire began about 7 a.m. in Building No. 3 of the 90-year-old Kerr Mill complex. It spread to two large nearby buildings, forced the temporary closing of parts of two major highways and drew hundreds of spectators. The three buildings were destroyed and two others in the complex had minor damage.

The buildings housed a variety of small manufacturers and shops, and the blaze may have been fed by propane and other chemicals, said a fire lieutenant who declined to be identified.

Buildings Engulfed

At the height of the blaze, the buildings were engulfed. Several explosions could be heard, and thick smoke around the area could be seen 15 miles away.

Police and emergency officials ordered the evacuation of buildings within a square mile because of fears that the fire might feed on dangerous chemicals that were believed to be stored in the buildings.

The state Department of Environmental Quality Engineering reported that tests of the smoke showed no toxic hazards, although spokesman John Creed said more studies would be made.

The 700 people evacuated from a 10-block area were allowed to return home late Monday afternoon.

Cause Unknown

Fire Chief Louis Shea said that he did not know the cause of the blaze but that it did not appear suspicious. The fire spread rapidly, fanned by winds up to 28 m.p.h.

Shea said the building was used in thread manufacturing years ago. “The floors are very oily. Fires in these buildings have a tendency to create from the burning fuels a large fireball with heated gases. And it just travels the length of the building.”

Officials closed parts of Interstate 195, the main highway between Cape Cod and Providence, R.I., and U.S. 6, which runs past the mill complex. Traffic was stalled as police sought to funnel motor vehicles onto other roads.

The heat was so intense that it set fire hoses ablaze and destroyed transformers and nearby utility poles.