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Jan 23, 2008 1:29 pm US/Eastern
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Worcester Fire Destroys Building, Damages Another
WORCESTER (WBZ) ―
Fire officials in Worcester are investigating a fast-moving blaze that destroyed an unoccupied building and heavily damaged a second, occupied home.
The three-alarm fire started early Wednesday at about 2 a.m. in an abandoned two story building Lancaster Street and quickly spread to a three story home next door.
The fire was so intense that firefighters actually had to pull out of the buildings twice.
Investigators weren't able to get into the building where the fire started until just before noon, after a wrecking crew leveled most of what was left.
Worcester District Fire Chief Frank DiLiddo described the blaze as extremely intense, engulfing the first structure in a matter of minutes.
"Upon arrival, crews found the primary fire building fully involved," said DiLiddo. "Talking to experienced veterans of this department; they've never seen a building burn so rapidly and collapse so quickly. Within 10 minutes that primary building had collapsed."
Seven people living on the second and third floor of the second building had
to be evacuated by firefighters, but all appear to be fine.
"It was like someone was shining a huge flashlight in your windown and then the blinds melted, and the flame popped the windows open," said fire victim Coretta Rogers-Reed.
One firefighter was hospitalized and treated for a heart irregularity, but is expected to be o.k.
Luckily no one else was hurt.
The abandoned building was completely destroyed; while the home was gutted and appears to be a total loss.
Rogers-Reed says there'd been no activity at the abandoned building until the last week when it was boarded up. She says while there was no construction going on there, someone boarded up the first floor and basement up.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Red Cross is helping those people displaced by the fire. They've been very busy with 80 fires in Central Massachusetts since July 1, 2007. Needless to say they're asking for donations.
If you'd like to contribute to the Red Cross on Central Massachusetts
click here or you can email the Red Cross
by clicking here. You can also call them at (508) 595-3700.
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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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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.)