Neighbor saw ‘something being thrown’ before fire burned three-story homes in Southbridge

A Southbridge resident said his home surveillance system captured video of suspicious activity before a seven-alarm fire broke out and burned two nearby three-story vehicles early Wednesday morning.

The fire broke out in a three-story home at the corner of Cross and Union streets and flames reached an adjacent building shortly before 3:30 a.m., according to the Southbridge Fire Department.

Video captured by a Boston 25 photographer showed several cars also burning in the fire.

“Fire crews arrived with heavy fire at the rear of the building and then worked their way up to the second building on the street,” Southbridge Fire Chief Paul Normandin said.

Thirty people living in the buildings escaped safely, but the fire quickly intensified to seven alarms, prompting a response from several surrounding towns. Normandin said between 75 and 80 firefighters from departments across southern Worcester County responded.

Fortunately, water supply was not a problem despite the drought in the state.

“Southbridge has a very robust water system,” says Normandin. “We have what we call ladder pipes that run through the first building, the exhibit building, which puts a demand on the system, but we made it work so we can use the system.”

Authorities said the fire appeared to have started in the rear of the building, but a local resident who did not want to appear on camera for fear of retaliation told Boston 25 she spotted someone acting suspiciously. strange way on his house surveillance system before the fire. broke out.

“My dogs started going crazy. That’s how I saw it on the camera,” the neighbor said.

She said the man walked behind the building several times.

“Then I got out of the car and started walking back and forth and the third time when he left you could see him in the corner and that’s when you see something thing was thrown and the whole building caught fire,” the woman said. .

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting local officials in investigating the cause of the fire.

“We have the fire marshal’s office investigation team that is on site and we also have our own Southbridge Fire Investigation Unit on site to handle these particular claims,” Normandin said.

The building where the fire broke out will have to be demolished, according to Normandin. The city will evaluate whether the neighboring building can be saved.

In the meantime, the people who lived there are housed in a shelter and receiving help from the Red Cross.

No injuries were reported, neither among residents nor among firefighters.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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