Lowell fire update: A fire broke out at a family home on Bridge Street, in Lowell, Massachusetts on Tuesday. Local police urged people to avoid the area from 6th to Willard streets, citing road closures.
Flames were seen rising from the roof of a two-storied building. It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt. Firefighters battled the flames with hoses.
As per WCVB, fire crews were also at 34 May St, attempting to put out another blaze at a house. Meanwhile, strong winds reportedly whipped the flames and smoke around. Gusts had reached up to 50 miles per hour, as of Tuesday afternoon, reports indicated.
The fire prompted a multi-agency response and the Nashua Fire Rescue issued a statement on helping out with the Lowell blaze. “Nashua Fire Rescue is currently providing mutual aid to the following communities: Nashua Engine 4 and C4 are operating at a brush fire in Amherst NH on Rt 122. Nashua Ladder 2 is enroute to Lowell MA for station coverage while Lowell operates at a 4th alarm building fire,” they wrote on Facebook.
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Lowell Public Schools also put out a message amid the blaze, saying “Due to a fire on Bridge Street in the Centralville neighborhood, there will be temporary changes to transportation this afternoon. All elementary students with affected bus stops will be redirected to the Moody School – 158 Rogers Street – for pick-up. For middle school students, buses will drop off as close to their regular stops as safely possible. If a bus is unable to reach a stop, students will also be brought to the Moody School. Parents/guardians must bring a photo I.D. to pick up their child from the Moody School. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we prioritize student safety.”
The A local news page read “Heavy fire on arrival from a large 3 sty structure, reports of people trapped, fire through the roof, 2nd alarm on arrival, fire spread to the house behind, 3rd and 4th alarms transmitted, fire now spreading to multiple areas of brush, numerous mutual aid requested.”
A video seen by WCVB confirmed that residents from a nearby home had to run from a backyard as the Bridge Street home remained engulfed in flames. The front of this house was blackened with the flames and smoke continued to pour out of the top floors.
Lowell city councilor Corey Robinson reacted to the news and said “We’re doing everything we can to try to make sure that we protect our properties. These are problems that we all need to be aware of, that when u put houses on top of each other, these kinds of situations happen. One fire ends up destroying several structures. It really challenges the first responders,” as per the publication.
Lowell fire: Scary visuals emerge
Scary visuals from the Lowell fire emerged online. A scanner page shared photos from the Lowell fire, where the houses could be seen from an aerial view.
On Facebook a person shared photos of the firefighting operations at Lowell and wrote “Lowell has a four family home on fire. There are homes close by on both sides that are starting to catch fire as well. The location is on Bridge Street. Multiple alarms have been struck.”
Yet another page shared a map of where the fire broke out and wrote “4 ALARM BUILDING FIRE – 865 Bridge Street In Lowell MA at 3:39pm.”
Several people expressed concerns about the ongoing fire at Lowell. One person remarked “this is horrible.. the wind is wild today. Praying for everyone involved.” Another added “5th alarm now. Buildings collapsing, trees catching fire also. Major issues with water pressure and getting water where it’s needed.”
