Fire officials are searching for the cause of a massive nine-alarm blaze at the New England Casket Company that roared late into the night Friday, prompting evacuations and subway closures.
The chemical-fueled blaze sent a thick, black toxic cloud over the Orient Heights neighborhood. It took over 120 firefighters more than eight hours to douse the blaze that began around 3 p.m. near a wood-drying furnace, according to Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn.
“When the fire initially started, when we first came in, it was in the roof area around the furnace where they were working,” Finn said. “We kind of got it narrowed down, the origin. Now we just have to work on cause.”
The blaze erupted just above the factory’s sprinkler system, which led to the collapse of all three buildings on the site.
Finn added, “When the building comes down, the roofs come down, it buries fire, it burrows in and it is just difficult to access.”
As the fire grew, nearby residents were ordered out of their homes and the Blue line was forced to suspend service.
The factory is located at the end of a water line, which made it difficult for fire crews to get enough water to the area to get the flames under control.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh promised that he would investigate the cause of the low water pressure.
“This is, for me, the biggest fire that I have seen as the mayor of this city,” Walsh said.
Several police officers and firefighters were transported to local hospitals with smoke inhalation and exhaustion. They are all expected to be OK.
During a press conference Saturday, Finn said this was the most difficult fire he has fought in a number of years.
The main concern the morning after the blaze is the fragility of the structure and ensuring that the chemicals that remain stored inside are safely removed.
#MBTA #BlueLine: Personnel are at Orient Heights station and yard working on draining water from the area and evaluating track, power, and signal systems. We will continue to assess any impacts on the Blue Line infrastructure and update the public accordingly. pic.twitter.com/wVm9S0FQpR
— MBTA (@MBTA) March 16, 2019
MBTA officials say that they are working to drain the water from the Orient Heights train yard so they may evaluate the damage that may have been caused to the tracks.
Shuttle buses will run between Airport and Wonderland Station until further notice.
They have yet to comment on whether service will remain suspended through the Monday commute.
The family-owned New England Casket Company has been in business for over 70 years and has made caskets for several celebrities, including Joan Rivers and Heath Ledger, according to the Boston Globe.
Company owner Louis Tobia told 7’s Kim Lucey the loss of the building is devastating.
“My grandfather started the company, we have just about 100 employees who are like family,” he said. “I love all my employees and I just feel awful right now. We don’t know what to do.”
His father, Louis Tobia Sr. said, “We have to gather our strength, we can’t just stick our head in the sand and hope it is going to go away. We have got to deal with it and that is what we are trying to do right now.”
The factory building has been deemed a total loss.
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