Massive Lawrence Fire: 64 Homeless, $1M+ In Damage

LAWRENCE, MA — A careless smoker was blamed for igniting a six-alarm fire in Lawrence Sunday that spread to seven homes, leaving at least 64 people homeless and causing more than $1 million in damage. Remarkably, no one suffered significant injuries, officials said. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion. Firefighting conditions were horrendous Sunday afternoon, as temperatures soared to more than 90 degrees.

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The fire started outside a building at 131-133 Bennington Street near a side entrance, according to state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey and Lawrence fire Chief Brian Moriarty.

"A resident had been smoking earlier in the day and discarded smoking materials on the ground in this area containing dried vegetation and other combustibles," Ostroskey and Moriarty said in a joint statement. "The wind-swept fire quickly moved up the exterior of the building and around to the back."

It took firefighters hours to extinguish the blaze. Scores of firefighters from surrounding communities joined the effort.

"As more people smoke outdoors rather than inside, more than half of building fires started by smoking begin on decks, porches, and exterior stairways," Ostroskey and Moriarty said.

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6-Alarm Fire Breaks Out In Lawrence Fire

Photo: The scene of a six-alarm fire in Lawrence on Bennington Street June 11, 2017. (Credit: Lawrence Police Department)