A fire tore through a two-story garage at the Avalon apartment complex in Northborough, as reported by the Northborough Fire Department. The blaze broke out just before 3 p.m., causing the Northborough Dispatch Center to be flooded with multiple 9-1-1 calls. Off-duty firefighters were recalled, and aid was requested from neighboring towns for a working fire in the 14000 block of Avalon Drive.
The intensity of the incident was heightened by several explosions heard by callers prior to the arrival of the fire department. Northborough Engine 2 was first to respond, commencing an aggressive exterior attack against the flames. According to a social media post from the fire department, hundreds of gallons of water per minute were needed to combat the fire, with three master streams and two large handlines in operation at the fire's peak.
The fire, which took about 50 minutes to be controlled, destroyed roughly half of the garage space, utilized by Avalon's Maintenance Division. Containing building materials, equipment, and various flammable substances, the stored contents contributed to the fire's swift escalation. The site was cleared by all crews just before 7 p.m. Remarkably, there were no injuries reported in the accident. Investigators from Northborough Fire, Northborough Police, and Massachusetts Fire District 14 are currently examining the cause of the fire, which is not considered suspicious.
Gratitude was extended by the Northborough Fire Department to the collaborative efforts that helped douse the fire. Credits were given to the Northborough Police Department, Marlborough Fire Department, Shrewsbury, MA Fire Department, Westborough Fire Department, and the Town of Northborough MA DPW.
