LAWRENCE - A fast-moving fire last night destroyed a 141-year-old abandoned building that served as a center of community activities in the city's Arlington Neighborhood for more than a century.
It took only 15 minutes for the fire to escalate into a four-alarm blaze at Turn Hall.
But it was more than five hours before Lawrence fire officials began releasing six out-of-town fire departments that responded to 42-44 Park St. Units from Andover, Haverhill, Lowell, Methuen, North Andover and Salem, N.H., were called in to help city firefighters battle a fire that forced the evacuation of several nearby three-decker apartments on Bruce Street.
There were no reports of injuries.
"It's one of the biggest fires I've seen since Malden Mills," Lawrence Police Department Auxiliary Chief Jay Jackson said. His volunteer department is used for crowd control at fires, major accidents and crime scenes.
"Upon arrival to the building, the fire was escalating in such a rapid fashion that we realized it was going to engulf the entire building, so we called in all 28 auxiliary officers. We had to close down a 22-block area to traffic in the Park Street-Arlington Neighborhood," Jackson said.
The source and cause of the fire, which broke out shortly after 6 p.m., is still under investigation.
"Our biggest challenge we're having right now is the flying embers," said Deputy Fire Chief Jack Bergeron, as he pointed to ashes floating above the rooftops of apartment buildings considered at risk to a fire that ravaged the large, 21/2-story brick and wood-frame building near the intersection of Park and Bruce streets.
The American Red Cross of the Merrimack Valley was poised to open a temporary overnight shelter for the dozens of people evacuated from their homes.
But the residents were allowed to return to their homes late last night as Lawrence firefighters maintained an overnight watch.
Marlene Louis-Gilles, 35, of 46 Park St., left her house next door to spend the night with family members.
"I just got home a few minutes ago and can't believe what I'm seeing," said Louis-Gilles, who arrived to a wild scene of firefighters and firetrucks in front of her house and dozens of spectators from the neighborhood.
"I didn't expect this to happen. Somebody just bought this building a few weeks ago and was going to make a church out of it," she said. The owner's name was not available last night.
Fire officials have been concerned about the building posing a potential hazard to the neighborhood for several years. The department had a special red-and-white marking placed on the front of the building, designating it as unsafe.
City officials have been taking precautions to keep the building locked, but homeless people have taken up quarters inside for several years.
Hector Cid, who lives on the third floor of 45 Park St., across the street from Turn Hall, said he wasn't surprised to look out his window last night and see the building burning.
"I've called the city several times about problems over there," he said, noting that people have easy access into the building.
Fire departments from Dracut, Middleton and North Reading helped cover the Lawrence stations while city firefighters were tied up with last night's blaze.
Bergeron, a 31-year veteran of the Lawrence department, said Turn Hall has been a fire-safety concern for much of his career.
The building served as a church and at one time was occupied by Turn Verein, a German athletic and social club, during the 1960s and 1970s.
Firefighters complained about low water pressure during much of the night, a problem that was aggravated by the building's large size.
On the basement level, there was once a bowling alley. That area was filled with junk left behind by former owners.
The first floor was used mostly for a gymnasium, complete with a parquet floor and basketball backboards. There was once a bar in the building.
Staff Writer Bill Kirk contributed to this report.
