Waltham 10-Alarm Fire Still Under Investigation A Week Later

WALTHAM, MA — A week after a blaze ripped through an apartment complex under construction on the South Side of Waltham, investigators are still looking for the cause. The site is under lockdown and fire crews stand at the ready as investigators sift through the mostly demolished buildings.

Last week the state Fire Marshall asked anyone with early photos of the fire to send them along to help with pin pointing the cause and location of where the fire started.

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"We've had a number of people contact the press release number," said Lt. Scott Perry of the Waltham Fire Department, those photos sent directly to the Waltham Fire Department were forwarded along to the investigators, he said. The State Fire Marshall's office, which is in charge of the investigation, are following up, he said.

"The fire is predominantly out, though there are a couple of warm spots," said Perry. There is an investigative presence on the scene and firefighters are at the ready should any of the warm spots need dousing.

"The building at this point appears to be a total loss," he said, but it's still too early to tell what the cost estimate on the damage will be or what the cause is as investigators piece together what may have happened early Sunday morning July 23.

Officials say they don't want to jump to conclusions about the cause of the fire or the nature of it until all the puzzle pieces and reports are put together, which could take a while for a fire of this magnitude.

"The fire is still under investigation at this time," said Jim DeSimone, of the State Fire Marshall's office who reiterated the Fire Marshall's call for any photographs, video or tips that might help with the investigation be sent to investigators.

"Anyone with photos or video of the fire at its earliest stages is asked to call the Waltham
Fire Department at 781-314- 3700," he said in a statement.

The fire resulted in the complete loss of the 264 unit apartment building at 20 Cooper Street. The fire resulted in damage to at least two other structures, the Rino Lounge and an auto body shop along with more than than 20 vehicles. Fire officials were first alerted just before 4 a.m. July 23, and crews were out fighting the 10-alarm fire for the entire day. Fire Departments from the likes of Arlington, Brookline, Newton, Cambridge and a dozen other communities responded to help with the blaze.

Callahan Construction, the company that was building the Waltham complex that went up in flames, is looking forward for now, according to spokeswoman Lisa Nickerson.

"There's plans right now to rebuild on the site, and we're waiting right now for word from the State Police Department on the cause," she said.

Sound familiar?

The Waltham fire comes on the heels of another major fire of a building under construction in the Boston area. Last month a complex burned down in Dorchester the day before it was slated to be inspected by fire officials. That building, too, was wood framed instead of steel. Fire officials determined the cause in that case was an improperly installed exhaust pipe.

There have been a number of fires associated with wood-frame buildings under construction in recent years across the country, prompting some questions about whether there should be an update in regulations surrounding such construction sites.

In the case of the Cooper Street fire, officials said the building had passed inspections before the blaze broke out and sprinklers, which may have helped slow the blaze, were not required to be turned on at the time, since the building was not occupied.

Other communities across the country are dealing with similar questions. New Jersey had a spate of wood-frame complexes under construction go up in flames over the past few years. And California officials are investigating a fire that happened earlier this month on the heels of a number of others. At least two California fires were deemed arson.

Fire officials across the country have been criticizing the more flammable lightweight wood construction materials. Some construction companies, including the construction company that worked on the New Jersey apartment buildings have responded by voluntarily adding safety mechanisms designed to stop such early fires.

A company called Mighty Fire has popped on the scene in response, selling various treatments to wood framing to retard fires. The question remains will Waltham look into code changes or require more security at construction sites?

Mayor Jennette McCarthy did not return request for comment.

RELATED:

"We're going to be here for a while"

Fire investigators call for help

Check out a photo gallery of the fire.

Dorchester blaze

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Photo of spectators taking photos of firefighters on July 23 by Jenna Fisher/ Patch staff