Public’s Assistance Could Help Identify Area of Origin
Wakefield, MA — Wakefield Fire Chief Thomas Purcell and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine are asking for the public’s help as they investigate last week’s six-alarm fire on Foundry Street.
Specifically, Wakefield and State Police fire investigators are interested in photos and video shot during the fire’s earliest stages. Based on their efforts so far, they believe the fire began inside the building, but the catastrophic damage has posed major challenges in identifying exactly where.
“We know this fire brought a large number of people to the area as it grew in size,” said Chief Purcell. “What we’re looking for now are photo, video, and observations from people who were present when the fire was first noticed.”
Anyone with photo, video, or other information regarding the fire’s early stages is asked to contact Deputy Chief John Walsh of the Wakefield Fire Department at 978-382-5552 or the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit at 978-567-3310.
“We are not investigating this as a suspicious fire at this time,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “Our main interest right now is identifying the area of origin, which will help determine the exact cause.”
The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 102 Foundry Street just after 3:00 pm on August 7. They found heavy smoke and flames on arrival at the single-story brick structure and immediately undertook efforts to contain the blaze and protect adjacent properties. The building, a disused warehouse with a heavy fire load and extreme clutter inside, sustained catastrophic damage in the fire, which went to six alarms and drew mutual aid from across the region.
Firefighters had the blaze under control by about 6:00 pm and remained on scene for hot spots and overhaul until early the next morning. Heavy equipment was used to level the structure due to its instability.
