Weymouth Apartment Building 'Total Loss' After Blaze
WEYMOUTH (CBS) -- For the third time in four months, a large wood-frame apartment building was totally destroyed by fire.
The fire began around 3 a.m. Thursday morning on the second or third floor of the four-story building under construction off Trotter Road in Weymouth.
Weymouth Fire Chief Keith Stark said the building used an all-wood-frame construction method--and the State Fire Marshall's office likened the blaze to recent massive fires that tore through under-construction apartment buildings in Dorchester in June and Waltham in July.
The building was unoccupied at the time, as it was still under construction--but there were residents some other apartments in the complex.
Because the building was still under construction, the sprinkler systems were not functioning.
No injuries were reported, but Chief Stark said the building was considered a total loss.
Chief Stark said crews worked to keep the fire to that single building, and said water issues were the biggest challenge in fighting the fire.
In order to get water on the flames, firefighters had to pull hoses over the tracks of the MBTA Commuter Rail's Kingston/Plymouth line, causing disruption to the morning commute.
That line was reopened shortly after 6:30 a.m. when crews were able to feed the hoses under the tracks.
The building was covered in a cloud of smoke later Thursday morning as crews were still on scene working to contain the fire.
The cause of the blaze was not yet known, and the Fire Marshall's office was investigating.
Several similar fires have broken out in recent months with under-construction buildings destroyed before completion.
In those instances, firefighters have expressed concerned with the wood materials that are used in these buildings. The materials are considered structurally safe, but are susceptible to fire.
Quincy building inspector Jay Duca has been monitoring the developments of the recent fires, including the Weymouth blaze. A large apartment building is being build in Quincy.
Duca said precautions are in place, including 24-hour security and no welding without fire department supervision.
