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Fire causes $500,000 worth of damage

Posted on by SST

A Brockton warehouse was set ablaze by a five-alarm fire late on Aug. 5, according to multiple outlets.

The facility was used as a lumber yard and contained smaller shops for car repairs and welding. But according to Brockton Fire Chief Richard Francis, the extent of the damage means the building will likely have to be torn down. The building was valued at an estimated $500,000. No one was reported to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

Firefighters on the scene were about to put out the blaze within a few hours, though one crew remained on the scene through the night to ensure the fire would not spark. One of those on hand was treated at a local hospital after he strained his back.

Housing units on both sides of the warehouse were slightly impacted by the blast. The American Red Cross was present to assist residents in the buildings. Still, bystanders had a close up view of the fire.

"'Boom,' then all of a sudden out of all that black smoke, you see a big flame of fire, then it went 'boom' again to where people were scared to move their cars," said Lawanda Carter, a local resident. "When we smelled the smoke, it smelled like rubber and then the next thing you know we saw the flames, we ran, banged on people's doors and got everybody out."

The warehouse was not properly equipped with adequate fire suppression equipment at the time of the fire. A smoke detector did alert those inside of the immediate danger, according to Jennifer Mieth, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan.

Local fire departments and the state fire marshal's office are currently investigating the cause of the fire. They believe there was no foul play.

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