Sept. 17 -- A raging three-alarm fire that erupted in a Lawrence apartment complex Sunday shortly after Gov. Charlie Baker gave evacuees from the gas explosions the green light to return home is not related to Thursday’s Merrimack Valley disaster, authorities said.
“It appears that this is unrelated to our gas crisis,” Lawrence fire Chief Brian Moriarty told reporters.
“It appears that we had a fire in the walls. This is not something that people should be overly panicked about. It appears to be the same kind of fire that we have throughout the year.”
Moriarty said one firefighter was transported to an area hospital with undisclosed injuries.
The blaze broke out in a building on Diamond Street, but Moriarty said firefighters were able to quickly knock it down. “We were able to get in very quickly,” the chief said.
State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said his office will work with Lawrence to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
Although the residence has gas service, Ostroskey stressed it was a different service group than the one connected to Thursday’s multicommunity tragedy.
“There’s no reason why people should not continue to return to their homes now that power is restored,” he said.
Ostroskey asked returning residents to remain vigilant, be aware of their surroundings and speak up if something seems amiss. He also asked them to make note of any damage to their homes they weren’t aware of before being forced to flee.
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