Boston Area News

LAWRENCE (WBZ) ― A massive seven-alarm fire in downtown Lawrence destroyed or damaged 9 buildings, including homes and business, early Monday morning. Several people were forced out into the bitter cold in their pajamas.

The fire at Market and Parker streets was called in at about 2:30 a.m. by a passing ambulance crew heading to an unrelated call.

Investigators say the cause is suspicious.

It started in an empty nightclub that was being renovated, and then spread quickly through a hair salon, and other buildings, including a home for the mentally disabled.

A total of 5 buildings were destroyed and one was partially destroyed.    Three others were heavily damaged.  Early reports had said 14 building were destroyed.

State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said the nightclub had no walls, and that "gave the fire an opportunity to take hold very quickly," he said.

Several people were rescued. Police Lt. Scott McNamara said about 150 people were evacuated from the neighborhood. By Monday afternoon, 54 were at a Red Cross shelter, he said.

One minor injury was reported.

It took four hours to bring the fire under control. Freezing winds quickly pushed the inferno through the block, which included early 1900s triple-decker wood frames, a hair salon and three buildings being rehabilitated by Habitat for Humanity.

Firefighters struggled with the frigid temperatures and below zero wind chills. Some of them slipped on ice, others were frustrated by frozen water pumps.

"Our equipment has been suffering. We have two pumps that were supplying a major supply line coming down Market Street that are frozen up," said Lawrence fire chief Peter Takvorian. "We've had to replace them."

Takvorian told WBZ 10 out-of-town fire companies helped Lawrence firefighters with extra crews and additional water.

Zulma Borgos, 49, said she was awakened by calls of "Fire! Fire!" from her boyfriend, Elias Riverra. Borgos said when she looked out the window, "I couldn't believe what I saw."

"It was a ball of fire," said Riverra, 21. He didn't even have time to grab a pair of socks before waking Borgos' three girls in the apartment and running.

The girls, ages 5 to 12, were wrapped in blankets when they arrived at a shelter the Red Cross set up in a local school. Other people arrived in bathrobes and slippers.

Bill Meagher, a Red Cross volunteer, said many of those displaced by the fire already were struggling financially.

"A lot of these people who were burned out today don't have anything," he said. "They're not going to be able to find housing right away.

"With the freezing cold weather ... all the shelters are full," Meagher said.
 
(For information on how to help victims, click here.)

Gov. Deval Patrick toured the site and met with displaced families. He said work remained "to close in on what the cause of the fire is and most especially to help the families get back on their feet."

"But one step at a time," he said.

The nightclub owner, Geraldo Torres, 45, of Methuen, said the last time he was in the building was about 7 p.m. Saturday. He told the Eagle Tribune of Lawrence that he had no idea how a fire started because he turned off the power whenever he left.

"There's no way the fire can start there," he said.

Torres said he bought the nightclub for about $250,000 intending to open a restaurant and bar with an Italian or Mexican theme. Renovations began about two months ago and he put $300,000 into the building.

Torres said he didn't buy insurance.

"We lost everything," he said. "All my hard work is in there."

Coan said state and city fire officials were investigating the cause of the fire with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Fires have become a big concern in Lawrence after a meltdown in the housing market has left many buildings in the city vacant.

In the late 80's and early 90's, Lawrence was the arson capital of New England because so many buildings were left abandoned.

Just last week, Lawrence Fire Captain Perry Dinatale took WBZ's Peg Rusconi on a tour of the city to highlight the problem. (Watch her story here.)

There are also budget problems.  Chief Takvorian told WBZ that there is a public hearing Tuesday to discuss threatened cuts to the fire department. 22 jobs and 2 fire companies are in financial jeopardy.

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(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)