Firefighters Battle Massive Blaze, Freezing Weather In Lawrence
LAWRENCE (CBS) - Firefighters were battling a massive fire in Lawrence Thursday afternoon and evening.
When firefighters arrived, the third floor of the building on South Broadway was fully engulfed. The fire quickly became too dangerous to fight from inside. The building was evacuated and firefighters did what they could from outside.
The building has businesses, including a dance studio and apartments on the top floors.
This was the second multiple-alarm fire that Lawrence firefighters responded to Thursday. Working in extreme weather presents unique problems, according to Lawrence Deputy Fire Chief John McInnis.
"It's tough because we're running into frozen hydrants and frozen lines and it's tough for the guys to get around with the icy conditions," he says. "We're going to be chasing hotspots through the night."
Firefighters do not know what caused the blaze, but they believe it started on the third floor.
Four people have been displaced but no injuries have been reported.
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong contributed to this report.
