Tewksbury Fire Dept Marks Anniversary Of Lowell Gas Co Explosion

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Tewksbury Fire Department marked the 48th anniversary of the 1972 Lowell Gas Company Explosion, Sunday. The incident resulted in three deaths, including two firefighters, and 21 injuries. In a Facebook post, the department said that the Lowell Gas Company's "fire alarm master box" will be mounted in the new Tewksbury Fire Headquarters.

At the 40th anniversary of the explosion, in 2012, the Tewksbury and Billerica Fire Departments co-sponsored a memorial service. Each department lost one firefighter. The driver of a tanker truck that collided with a liquified natural gas tank at the plant, leading to the explosion, also lost his life.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.