FALL RIVER, MASS. (WHDH) - A vacant commercial building went up in flames in Fall River Wednesday around 10 p.m.
Fire crews battled the flames and thick smoke into the morning.
“Heavy fire, fully involved, in the rear of the building,” Fall River Fire District Chief Sean Flannery said. “The fire had extended through the building through the South Main Street side.”
The fire spread to two other nearby buildings, forcing one person in an attached apartment out of their home. Several businesses nearby were badly damaged.
People who live nearby came to check out the damage when the sun came up.
“It’s sad, it really is,” Terry Dechaine said. “Just thank God nobody was in there. That’s the whole thing.”
“I was driving to get a coffee, and I saw the aerial ladders up, putting water down,” Sean Kelly said. “Just wow, it’s unbelievable; it’s just happening more and more, and it’s sad. What I was used to growing up is no longer going to be here by the time I go. It’s a pretty sad thing to see. A tremendous amount of buildings in the city have gone.”
Mayor Paul Coogan said the city will have to make some decisions about what to do with the building, with a Nor’easter on the way.
“We’ve got a bad storm coming; it’s not held up by much now,” Coogan said. “A lot of the infrastructure’s been gutted inside. So we’re going to be making some quick decisions for future plans for this building.”
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