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5-Alarm Fire Destroys Landmark Appliance Store Sozio's

REVERE (CBS) - A 5-alarm fire has destroyed the landmark Sozio's appliance store on Squire Road.

"The building is probably a total loss. We're probably looking at a half-million to a $1 million" in damages, Revere Deputy Fire Chief Glen Rich told reporters at the scene.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which broke out about 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Revere fire
A 4-alarm fire broke out at this Revere business Saturday afternoon. (Tiffany Chan/WBZ-TV)

Heavy flames and thick smoke engulfed the building.

By 6 p.m., there were reports of a partial building collapse.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Crews were still battling the blaze at 7 p.m.

The deputy fire chief described a chaotic scene as firefighters tried to extinguish heavy flames and smoke with several water lines.

"We had hydrants from the closest areas... we were just trying to bring in water from all different sections," he said.

The deputy fire chief said a fifth alarm was struck for manpower to assist crews on scene.

"We'll be here for a long time. We have to finish mopping up the hot spots so the investigators can get in there," Rich said.

A challenge for firefighters was the makeup of the building's interior, which housed flammable appliances.

"We had appliances, refrigerators, freon," he said. "We had small little explosions everywhere... but nothing that caused any injuries to anyone."

Rich said the owner's wife was inside when the fire broke out but escaped on her own.

Sozio's Home Furnishings and Appliances has been in business since 1949, and is a well-known retailer in the Boston area.

The company has four showrooms in Massachusetts: Revere, Cambridge, Neponset Circle in Boston and Danvers, according to its website.

"It's been in the city for a very long time," Rich said.

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