News

[Neil]

Sunday, May 6, 2007
Vale Street fire severity delays investigation

By Jacqueline Reis TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
jreis@telegram.com



WORCESTER— The four-alarm fire at 55 Vale St. late Friday night was so destructive, it will be a while before investigators can determine what started it, according to District Fire Chief Frank D. DiLiddo III.

The fire, which left one person injured and displaced at least 13 people, damaged the three-deckers on either side of the building.

The tenement at 53 Vale St. was vacant because careless disposal of smoking material had caused a fire there exactly one year ago. The building at 57 Vale St. sustained mainly exterior damage.


The fire was so fierce when firefighters arrived about 11:30 p.m., they were not able to enter to the building, Chief DiLiddo said yesterday. “It was a very difficult fire, due to the advancement prior to our arrival,” he said.

Police Officers Daniel F. Fahey and Gregory P. Joinville helped get people out of 57 Vale St.

Part of the building collapsed and what is left will have to be torn down by emergency order, Chief DiLiddo said.

Yesterday, one man scaled a ladder to a third-floor window to try to retrieve some papers, but there wasn’t much there.

Fire officials gave preliminary damage estimates of $200,000 for 55 Vale St., $100,000 for 53 Vale, and $50,000 for 57 Vale St.

Enger Paulino, who lives in and owns 55 Vale St., said the top and bottom floors were rented to family members. The second-floor tenants were in the process of moving out. One, who is on his honeymoon, still had belongings there, Mr. Paulino said.

Mildos Paulino, who lived on the third floor, was treated for a leg injury at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus, and released.

Worcester and state fire investigators are working together on the incident.
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dl...87/1008/NEWS02

photo below
The four-alarm fire destroyed 55 Vale St. and damaged the buildings on either side. (T&G Staff/PAUL KAPTEYN)

[Neil]

Friday, September 28, 2007
Inferno steals a life

Woman, 47, killed; 8 firefighters injured in ‘valiant’ rescue effort

By Mark Melady TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
mmelady@telegram.com



WORCESTER— A 47-year-old woman died and eight firefighters were injured, some with second-degree burns, as a result of a three-alarm fire that gutted a Chilmark Street three-decker.

The woman was taken unconscious from the third floor after what District Chief Frank D. Diliddo said were “valiant, heroic efforts to rescue her.”

Her identity was unknown last night. She was taken by ambulance to the UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus. Chief Diliddo said it was not known whether she died at the fire or at the hospital.


The identities of the injured firefighters were not known last night. Chief Diliddo said the injuries ranged from minor to second-degree burns suffered by those attempting to reach the woman on the third floor.

Veteran firefighters said the fire’s heat was as intense as any in recent memory. Firefighters emerged from the dwelling sweating, and blackened by smoke, to gulp water.

After the fire had been largely contained about 11 p.m., many firefighters sat, heads bowed, on the curb of Marshall Street, exhausted by their efforts and dejected by the loss of life.

“That’s always difficult,” Chief Diliddo said. “This was a nasty one.”

Neighbors said one puppy survived the fire but one dog did not. Chief Diliddo said he knew there were other pets in the building but he was unaware of their fate.

All three floors of the white, wooden structure at 49 Chilmark, located directly across from Marshall Street, were occupied at the time of the fire, which was reported shortly after 10 p.m.

Chief Diliddo said from 10 to 12 people, adults and children, were displaced by the fire. The Worcester chapter of the American Red Cross was arranging for shelter late last night.

The fire eventually involved more than 70 firefighters and multiple trucks lining Chilmark and Marshall streets for several blocks. Both streets were closed to traffic.

Ladder trucks 3 and 5 were both in use, streaming water through third-floor windows and the roof that was opened by firefighters to get at the flames.

One neighbor said the fire appeared to start in the back and quickly spread throughout the structure as the occupants made their way out.

“Flames were shooting out of the windows,” said the neighbor, who asked not to be identified.

Chief Diliddo said the fire was heavy when firefighters arrived. They encountered difficulty getting water lines to the rear of the building because of the structure’s high elevation from the road.

“We struck second and third alarms because of the volume of fire and to get personnel here,” he said. “It was just a very, very difficult fire.”

The cause of the blaze was under investigation last night.
http://www.telegram.com/article/2007...709280677/1116
photo Firefighters battle a blaze last night at this three-decker home at 49 Chilmark St. (T&G Staff / STEVE LANAVA)

[Neil]

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Nick Kotsopoulos receives Fire Fighters Media Award




Telegram & Gazette reporter Nick Kotsopoulos was a top finisher in the International Association of Fire Fighters 2009 Media Awards.

Mr. Kotsopoulos, who covers Worcester city government, won first place in the editorial/column category with a column about the tenacious efforts of former firefighter-union leaders Frank Raffa and Donald Courtney on behalf of their membership.

The prize-winning Politics and the City column appeared in the Dec. 7, 2008, Sunday Telegram. It was one of 244 entries in the annual competition, which draws submissions from print, broadcast and Web media in the United States and Canada.

Firefighter Raffa and Lt. Courtney, who submitted the column to the contest, presented the award at a ceremony at the Telegram & Gazette last week.

The IAFF is based in Washington, D.C. Through the contest, the IAFF seeks to recognize reporters and photographers for work that best portrays the professional and dangerous job of firefighters and emergency medical personnel.

http://www.telegram.com/article/2010...429/1101/LOCAL

[Neil]

Officials say blaze appears to be arson.
02-03-2010
By Linda Bock TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
lbock@telegram.com




WORCESTER — One person was injured and 15 others were displaced after a fast-moving fire destroyed the second and third floors of a three-decker at 10 May St. early this morning. Investigators said it appears to be arson.

The fire was reported at 2:20 a.m., and a second alarm and third alarms were quickly called because of reports that people were trapped.

Firefighters encountered heavy fire in the building when they arrived. Firefighters saw a man hanging from a second-floor window, and were able to rescue him.

Fire District Chief Frank D. DiLiddo III praised the firefighters for making sure the residents got out and for not allowing the fire to spread to other buildings. It appears the fire may have started in the back of the building on the second floor, because the heaviest damage was on the second and third floors.

Investigators have not yet determined a cause of the fire, though it is possible the fire was set, according to Chief DiLiddo.

One of the residents, Elizabeth Serrano, said there were nine people – her mother, seven children and herself – living on the first floor.

“The alarms went on, everybody was screaming there was a fire,” Ms. Serrano said. “I'm just giving thanks to God my family's out.”

Her oldest son lived on the third floor.

Chief DiLiddo said authorities are investigating the possibility that the blaze was set by one of the tenants.

“I'm just glad everyone's safe; that's all I care about,” Mr. Molina said. “The rest is just material.”

The man rescued from the second floor was transferred him by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to Chief DiLiddo.

There were no injuries to firefighters.

Return to telegram.com for more on this story.
http://www.telegram.com/article/2010...100209933/1116
photo Crews battle the blaze. (T&G Staff/STEVE LANAVA)

[Neil]

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Police make arrest in May Street arson
RESCUED TENANT ACCUSED OF SETTING FIRE


By Linda Bock TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
lbock@telegram.com

WORCESTER — A second-floor resident of the May Street three-decker heavily damaged by fire early this morning has been charged with setting the blaze, fire officials have confirmed.

Peter G. Duvarney, 37, of 10 May St., Apt. 2, was arrested after he was released from the hospital, where he was treated for smoke inhalation.

He was arrested at 1 p.m. by Detective Michael Mulvey on a charge of arson of a dwelling.

Witnesses said Mr. Duvarney had been fighting with other tenants since the night before, and there was evidence he had been drinking alcohol, District Fire Chief Frank D. DiLiddo III said.

According to fire officials, witnesses saw Mr. Duvarney drag bed sheets, rags and trash onto a second-floor rear porch. Roughly five minutes later, the fire was discovered. Fire investigators found the witnesses' statements to be consistent with what was discovered in the area where the fire started.

Mr. Duvarney was apparently injured and 15 others were displaced after the fast-moving fire destroyed the second and third floors of the three-decker at 10 May St.

Crews began boarding up the building this afternoon.

The fire was reported at 2:20 a.m., and second and third alarms were quickly called because of reports that people were trapped.

Firefighters encountered heavy fire in the building when they arrived. The saw a man hanging from a second-floor window, and were able to rescue him.

District Chief DiLiddo praised the firefighters for making sure the residents got out and for preventing the fire from spreading to other buildings. Firefighter investigators suspected the fire had started in the back of the building on the second floor, because the heaviest damage was on the second and third floors.

One of the residents, Elizabeth Serrano, said there were nine people – her mother, seven children and herself – living on the first floor.

“The alarms went on, everybody was screaming there was a fire,” Ms. Serrano said. “I'm just giving thanks to God my family's out.”

Her oldest son lived on the third floor.

“I'm just glad everyone's safe; that's all I care about,” said building owner Benjamin Molina. “The rest is just material.”

Mr. Duvarney, who had to be rescued from the second floor, was transferred by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to Chief DiLiddo.

There were no injuries to firefighters.

http://www.telegram.com/article/2010...933/1101/LOCAL

[Neil]

Tuesday, March 23, 2010


Building had future
VISITOR CENTER PLANS GO UP IN SMOKE


By Steven H. Foskett Jr. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
sfoskett@telegram.com


WORCESTER — As firefighters battled flames yesterday at the future site of the Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center, William D. Wallace, executive director of the Worcester Historical Museum, stood near the driveway, staring at the former wire rope factory.

“We had some phenomenal plans,” Mr. Wallace said as smoke poured out of the building. A few hours earlier, the structure had been consumed by flames. “How this changes the status of those plans remains to be seen,” he said.

Firefighters arrived about 3:30 p.m. to find the building in flames. Smoke could be seen from some distance away.

Three alarms were quickly called, and engines and ladder trucks surrounded the building to attack the fire that was termed suspicious in origin. A state police trooper traveling on nearby Route 146 had initially called in the fire, Capt. William P. Metterville said.

The vacant building, at 35 Tobias Boland Way, owned by the state but maintained by the city through a care and custody agreement, had been frequently broken into and frequently boarded up. The city last boarded it up Thursday, and had been back Sunday to make sure it was secure.

Capt. Metterville said the building did not have electricity or any other utility service; nobody was in it when firefighters arrived, he said.

The fire was largely under control by 4:30 p.m., although firefighters stayed on the roof and inside the building for a while to extinguish stubborn flames.

Smoke crept across some area roads, slowing traffic. Onlookers lined McKeon Road and the footbridge that crosses Route 146 from Millbury Street to the building.

Fearing a roof collapse, all firefighters were ordered out of the building around 5:30 p.m. Capt. Metterville said firefighters had initially entered the building, and found the majority of the fire on the second floor, on the side of the building facing Route 146. Firefighters soon shifted to an exterior attack on the burning building for safety considerations. One firefighter was treated by paramedics for exhaustion, but soon returned to his duties, Capt. Metterville said.

Last night, a crane arrived at the scene and demolition of the building was under way.

Mr. Wallace said the former factory was being planned as the new home of the Worcester Historical Museum and the Central Massachusetts Convention and Visitors Bureau. A fundraising push had been started, and there were promises of several million federal, state and city dollars for the building.

The Greater Worcester Land Trust has expressed an interest in developing a trail system in the wooded area that runs between the building and McKeon Road.

The building, once part of the Washburn & Moen factory complex, was actually several buildings, the oldest of which dates to the late 1800s.

It spent the majority of its working life as a wire rope mill, where steel wire was turned into rope that was used in structures such as bridges. Mr. Wallace said the factory was rumored to have made cables that were used in the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

“The building is the history,” he said.

Donna J. McCabe, president of the convention and visitors bureau, said the economic downturn had taken its toll on fundraising for the center.

She said there were hopes that a turnaround in economic conditions would lead to procurement of more grants and state and federal funds.

“It's a shame,” she said.

The state took the building by eminent domain in 1996. It consists of a basement and two stories totaling 72,000 square feet.
http://telegram.com/article/20100323/NEWS/3230402/1116
photo
Flames leap through the windows at the former factory. (T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR)

[Neil]

More photos link by Smoke Showing below
http://www.pbase.com/laprade/worcmckeon