Firefighters from multiple departments converged on the former Fernald School in Waltham, Massachusetts, in the dark, earlier yesterday to battle a four-alarm fire. Crews from neighboring towns including Lexington, Newton, and Boston, responded to the call shortly after 2 a.m. following a 911 alert that detailed trees, and a building on the property up in flames, as reported by WCVB.
The response to the incident at the 200-acre site, which has been dormant since 2014, saw crews from at least a dozen local fire departments, including those from Belmont, Cambridge, and Watertown, offering support. According to a report by WHDH, the fire inflicted substantial damage to the building's roof and surrounding vegetation, but there have been no injuries reported. The cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
This is not the first instance of fire at this location, the former Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center, as another blaze earlier this year called crews to tackle flames on the same grounds. The property's historical significance is noted by its inclusion in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 1994, being an institution serving people with developmental disabilities since its opening in 1848.
Investigative teams remain on the scene to uncover the origin of the fire, which continues to be a matter of speculation. The concerted effort to douse the flames once more throws the future and safety of the long-abandoned site into question, and prompts discussions about the preservation of such landmarks that echo a complex history. As the investigation progresses, further details are expected to be disclosed about the cause of the fire, and the impact of the damage caused to the historical structure.
