Peabody Fire May Smolder For Days, Chief Says

PEABODY (CBS) -- A day later, black smoke was still pouring out of a factory that caught fire Tuesday afternoon.

Peabody Fire Chief Steve Pasdon told WBZ-TV's Anna Meiler Wednesday morning that the fire in the massive foam factory may not fully be put out for days.

The fire began just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the warehouse area of Lifoam Industries, one of two businesses in the building, when about 50 employees were inside. All got out safely.

"Fire alarms were going off, I opened the door, saw the fire, turned around, got the hell out," one employee told WBZ.

There was a gaping hole in the side of the building Wedesday where fire crews used heavy machinery to break down walls and get to the flames.

A deputy chief injured his leg in the response to the fire, but was treated and released. There were no other injuries.

The difficult fight to put out the fire stretched into the overnight hours.

"We've been having trouble getting water to the scene of the fire," said Chief Pasdon.

With countless palettes of styrofoam packing material feeding the inferno, the chief had to call for backup in the form of flame-retardant foam.

"We had a truck come from Logan Airport with one of their foam trailers," said Chief Pasdon. "We had a foam trailer from Danvers and we had a foam trailer from Salem."

Concerns about toxic smoke also prompted a temporary area evacuation. Pasdon said they're taking all precautions to make sure the air is safe for neighbors.

"The street was just covered in black smoke," said a nearby business owner. "I sent all my employees home, we were told to evacuate."

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection officials were on scene until early Wednesday morning.

"Using our mobile lab, we tested the ambient air quality surrounding the fire site and did see elevated levels of styrene and benzene, but not at levels that required the evacuation of any surrounding neighborhoods," MassDEP said in a statement.

The officials also tested a nearby brook, where they found low levels of styrene.

"That brook does eventually leads to a reservoir a few miles away, but a check of the water there did not find any traces of styrene in the water column," the statement read.

The chief said the building is likely a total loss. Another portion of the building housing CNE Direct is heavily damaged.

A nearby business owner told WBZ that about 100 people were out of work after the fire.

Dave Harrison's family owns the propery. He told WBZ that the fire's destruction is an emotional sight.

"This is the legacy of my father-in-law, who just passed away, who we're going to bury in two weeks," he said.

He said he's hopeful they can rebuild.

"What else are you gonna do?" said Harrison. "You got a mortgage on the building, you gotta keep moving forward."

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

In:
• Fire