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Welding Torch Cited as Cause of Mill Fire |
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Thursday, 29 November 2007 |
By SANDY McGEE
UXBRIDGE — Welding performed at a metal custom shop has been officially deemed the cause of the Bernat Mill complex fire, a blaze that destroyed 56 businesses and left nearly 400 people, including the welder, unemployed this past July.
State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said Thursday that the 10-alarm fire at the Complex was a result of welding by an employee of East Coast Machine, a company that specializes in custom fabrication of specialty metals for the robotics industry.
"Welding was the most probable cause of the fire," Coan said. "A spark could have landed anywhere and started a smoldering fire."
The fire was first noticed on July 21 around 4:15 a.m., when the Uxbridge Fire Department received a master box alarm from the mill complex at 19 Depot St. Investigators believe the fire smoldered undetected for many hours before there was any visible sign.
First response units discovered smoke emanating from the building’s lower level. The fire eventually evolved into a massive blaze and a billowing smoke tower visible for miles around the region. Several small explosions were also heard coming from the building.
By mid-morning, more than 35 different departments responded to fight the fire, which consumed 80 percent of the 350,000 square foot mill complex. No one was seriously hurt in the blaze, but seven firefighters were treated for minor injuries.
Staff members of East Coast Machine reportedly extinguished small fires caused by welding not long before the massive blaze.
An employee reported smelling smoke on July 20 in the basement hall near East Coast Machine, but did not locate any source or cause for concern, according to investigators.
Unprotected combustibles, including paper, cardboard and wood, were found less than 35 feet from the welders’ work area. Sparks from welding can travel up to 35 feet, according to investigators.
As a precaution, state fire code requires that someone stay in the work area for at least 30 minutes after welding concludes. This did not occur on July 20, according to investigators.
"Welding was being conducted regularly by East Coast Machine in an environment that did not meet safety requirements of the fire and building codes," Coan said.
State fire codes require a permit from the local fire department for welding. No permit or verbal or written approval for welding was provided to the company from the local fire department, according to the state fire marshal.
The Bernat Mill complex, once the third-largest yarn mill in the nation, was converted in recent years into a mixed-use development that housed 56 businesses at the time of the fire.
All of the 56 businesses in the three-story building, which is owned by the Capron Corp., were eventually destroyed by fire.
"Everybody felt a loss here in this community," said Rep. Paul Kujawski (D-Webster). "Everybody worked extremely hard, especially those firefighters, who worked day and night."
A separate investigation was conducted to detect why there was extensive damage in a building equipped with a sprinkler system.
A control valve on Zone 6 of the sprinkler system had been padlocked "closed" at the time of the fire, according to investigators. This zone protected businesses on the first, second and third floors, including the area of the fire's origin.
"If the sprinkler system had been properly maintained and operational, the fire would have been controlled and contained until the fire department arrived," said Uxbridge Fire Chief Peter Ostroskey. "A permit is required to shut off any part of a sprinkler system just to avoid this type of scenario."
A permit for sprinkler work had been taken out the day before the fire, but no work had started on the project, according to officials.
The state fire marshal said investigators do not know who padlocked the sprinkler system, and that the investigation is officially closed. Several individuals were given polygraph tests during the investigation, the state fire marshal said.
"The state law makes the building's owner responsible for the sprinklers," Coan said.
According to officials, a qualified sprinkler company had not maintained the system for many years. All sprinkler tests were reportedly conducted by employees of the Carlito Group and Capron Corp. None of the employees were licensed by the state Department of Public Safety, officials said..
The last sprinkler inspection was held on July 14, 2005. Many of the sprinkler heads found in the building dated back to the 1940s, according to investigators.
The Department of Fire Services, on behalf of the Uxbridge Fire Department, issued several non-criminal citations and notices of violations following the investigation.
East Coast Machine received a non-criminal citation for three code violations related to welding, which added up to a $300 fine. Capron Corp., the building's owner, received a non-criminal citation and fine of $100 for failure to maintain the sprinkler system.
The non-criminal citations may be appealed, according to the state fire marshal. More citations may be issued in the future, but no criminal charges will be filed, Coan said.
Prime Materials, a tenant of the Bernat Mill complex, also received a violation notice for failing to obtain a permit to store combustible liquids. Another tenant, Flanagan Interiors, received a violation notice for failing to obtain a permit to store flammable liquids.
Prime Materials apparently stored 18,000 to 20,000 gallons of combustible liquids at the mill complex at the time of the fire.
No permits were ever obtained for these materials, according to investigators. The last known license issued to store combustible liquids was issued in 1963, according to investigators.
The state fire marshal said he does not believe the stored combustible liquids contributed to the fire's growth.
Investigators also discovered that the Bernat Mill complex had never undergone an "Article 34" review of the building, which is required when a mill is redeveloped into a mixed-use building. This review includes an evaluation of the fire protection systems.
Investigators reportedly conducted hundreds of interviews and reviewed all available evidence. Arson, electrical malfunctions and chemical components were considered as causes for the fire, but no evidence was uncovered to support those possibilities, the state fire marshal said.
"This was a large-scale fire investigation that involved the cooperation of many parties over a long period of time," said Uxbridge Police Chief Scott Freitas. "I hope and pray we will never have to do it again."
"Today is a day of closure and, hopefully, the results will assist our community with moving forward," said Rep. Jennifer Callahan (D-Sutton).
Several of the businesses that had occupied the mill have reopened throughout the community. East Coast Machine has also reopened at another area location, according to officials.
The investigation was under the direction of the Uxbridge Fire Department, Uxbridge Police Department, State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistance came from the State Police Air Wing, Accident Reconstruction Section Crime Scene Services and the state Crime Lab.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 05 December 2007 )
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