Mar 25, 2008 2:39 pm US/Eastern
Fire Destroys Northborough Mall, Closes Route 20
NORTHBOROUGH (WBZ) ―
An early morning fire not only gutted a strip mall in Northborough, but also caused major headaches during rush hour.
The 5-alarm blaze broke out at before 3 a.m. Tuesday at the Northboro Shopping Center on Route 20, destroying half a dozen businesses.
The fire forced officials to close the road during the morning commute. Route 20 was blocked off between Westbrook Road and Unicorn Drive in Northborough.
It took firefighters several hours to bring the fire under control.
Six businesses were destroyed, leaving 24 people without jobs. Officials are hoping to get state assistance for those who lost their jobs.
The businesses shared a common metal roof, which was supported by combustible two by four constructions.
"Once the fire got above that and traveled through the ceiling and through the inside to the front; it quickly made a tunnel for it to travel the length of the building," said Northborough Fire Chief David Durgin.
The chief estimates the total damages at one million dollars.
The businesses include a jeweler, a food market and an appliance shop. The most notable is O'Brien's Five and Dime which has been a part of Northborough for more than 50 years.
"It's a part of me and a part of the community. It's like a death in my family today," said Bruce Perry, one of the owners of O'Brien's Five and Dime. "We were gonna do our 50/50 anniversary sale in four weeks; so this kinda sets us back."
Chief Durgin says the fire was reported shortly before 3 a.m. by a passing limousine driver.
Firefighters were called to the plaza to investigate "smoke in the area", and when they got there they found flames spewing through the roof of the middle building.
Durgin says a portion of the roof of the one-story structure collapsed at the height of the blaze.
The mall did not have fire alarms or sprinklers; but was not required to because it was built before the fire code went into effect.
A firefighter from Marlboro who was helping out at the fire suffered a minor shoulder injury; but other than that no one was hurt.
Investigators say there is no reason to believe the fire is suspicious. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
