BOSTON (WHDH) - The Massachusetts State House was back in business Thursday after an electrical fire forced the building to shut down earlier this week.
The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon, prompting an evacuation. The building then remained closed on Wednesday while an investigation into the fire’s cause continued, officials said.
After a day spent working from home, officials and staff on Thursday said they were excited to be back working in person.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Joyce Stanton, who works for Gov. Maura Healey. “I love my job, so I’m looking forward to going back in.”
“Definitely looking forward to getting back in the building,” said Maddie Miller. “You don’t have to pay for AC in there.”
Staff and officials, including Healey, were ushered out of the building as part of Tuesday’s evacuation.
Later speaking with reporters, Boston Fire Department Commissioner Paul Burke said wires to a transformer in a sub-basement caught fire, requiring crews to isolate the lines and cut power as part of their response.
Staff described the scene inside as smoke filled part of the State House.
“We started seeing the smoke, so everyone had to evacuate,” Stanton said. “So, it was a little scary then.”
“They made sure everyone was out,” Miller said. “It was a wild thing to happen.”
Officials said the fire posed problems for air quality inside the State House, with tests showing high levels of carbon monoxide.
As the emergency response continued, crews were at one point using fans to vent the building.
Authorities said no one was hurt.
In an update, state police spokesperson David Procopio said the fire was determined to be accidental, resulting from electrical faults in two lines running into an electrical vault in the State House’s Annex Building.
Procopio said a separate fire alarm and evacuation earlier in the day on Tuesday was not connected to the fire, instead happening when visitors mistook a fire alarm for a mechanism to open a door.
Healey and other state officials thanked first responders for their actions on Tuesday, with Healey saying she was “grateful for the swift and coordinated action.”
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)