Neighbor saw ‘something being thrown’ before blaze that scorched triple-decker homes in Southbridge

SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. — A Southbridge resident says their home surveillance system captured video of suspicious activity before a seven-alarm blaze broke out and scorched two nearby triple-deckers early Wednesday morning.

The fire broke out at a three-story home at the corner of Cross and Union streets and the flames jumped to an adjacent apartment building shortly before 3:30 a.m., according to the Southbridge Fire Department.

Video captured by a Boston 25 photographer showed multiple cars that were also burning in the fire.

“The fire crews arrived pretty much with heavy fire to the backside of the building and then it progressed right out the second building on the street, ”Southbridge Fire Chief Paul Normandin said.

Thirty people living in the buildings escaped safely but the blaze intensified quickly to seven alarms, prompting a response from multiple surrounding towns. Normandin said between 75 to 80 firefighters from departments across southern Worcester County responded.

Thankfully water supply was not an issue despite the state’s drought conditions.

“Southbridge has a very robust water system,” Normandin. “We’ve got what we call ladder pipes going through the first building, the exposure building, so that does have a demand on the system but we’ve actually made it work so we can use the system.”

Officials said the fire seemed to have started in the back of the building, but one neighborhood resident who didn’t want to appear on camera out of fear of retaliation told Boston 25 that she spotted someone acting strange on her home surveillance system before the fire erupted.

“My dogs started going crazy. That’s how I saw him on the camera,” the neighbor said.

She added that the man went behind the building several times.

“Then got out of the car and started walking back and forth and the third time, when he left, you could see him in the corner and then that’s when you see something being thrown and the whole building just caught fire,” the woman explained.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting local authorities with an investigation into the cause of the fire.

“We have the investigation team from the Fire Marshal’s office coming out and we also have our own Southbridge Fire Investigation unit on scene working those particular claims,” Normandin said.

The building where the fire started will have to be torn down, according to Normandin. The town will assess whether the building next door can be saved.

In the meantime, the people who lived there are staying at a shelter and are being helped by the Red Cross.

There were no reported injuries to residents or firefighters.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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