Huge mill fire shuts down 4 schools, part of commuter rail line in Chelsea, Massachusetts
CHELSEA - A huge fire in Chelsea, Massachusetts forced the city to close several streets, part of a commuter rail line and all four elementary schools Monday.
Chelsea fire
Flames broke out at an old mill on Forbes Street just after midnight. Firefighters shut down the entire area around the Chelsea Creek for hours while they brought the fire under control.
"All I'd seen was flames all in the air, and I'm like, 'Oh my goodness!'," witness Christopher Wells told WBZ-TV.
No one was hurt. There's no word yet on how the fire started.
"On our radar for awhile"
"This site's been on our radar for awhile. We've had some smaller fires down here," Chelsea Fire Chief John Quatieri told WBZ. "It's been a vacant property for a long time. We inspect it every week just because we're afraid something like this might happen."
The property was listed for sale for $30 million and had been approved for development before the fire.
"The upper floors have collapsed onto the main floor so we're waiting to bring in some heavy equipment. We're going to start pulling the building apart so we can reach the fire that's still burning underneath all the debris," the fire chief said.
Chelsea schools closed
The complex is near the Sokolowski, Hooks, Kelly and Berkowitz elementary schools. Superintendent Dr. Almi Abeyta made the decision Monday morning to close them for the day as a precaution.
"The fire has led to restricted access to the school campus, and our primary concern is the safety of our students, staff, and families," she said in a statement.
"We understand that this disruption may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize for any challenges this may present. The situation is evolving, and we are closely monitoring updates from local authorities. We will keep you informed and provide details on when we expect the schools to reopen."
All other schools in Chelsea were open as scheduled on Monday.
MBTA commuter line delays
Several streets in the neighborhood were closed. The fire also caused delays on the MBTA's Newburyport-Rockport commuter rail line, which runs near the mill.
"Passengers will be accommodated by a shuttle bus in both directions between Chelsea and Lynn where they will board a train for continued service," the MBTA said on social media.
"It looks like the commuter rail will probably be closed most of the day if not all day," Quatieri said.
Chelsea to Provincetown
The Provincetown Fire Department said that a "smell and haze" noticeable throughout town Monday afternoon was believed to be coming from Chelsea.
"We've reached out to the state and believe the haze/smell are coming across the bay due to a large fire in Chelsea," the department said on Facebook.