LYNN — Fire officials have determined that the three-alarm fire that destroyed a Congress Street apartment building Monday night was accidental, caused by illegal fireworks.
Lynn firefighters initially responded to 35 Congress St. shortly after 8 p.m., and found the fire was engulfing the six-unit house to the left, at 39 Congress St.
There were no injuries to residents or firefighters, but a pet ferret had to be rescued from the building, and several cats are unaccounted for, according to fire officials.
Investigators determined that the fire started as a result of people setting off fireworks, one of which ricocheted to the second floor and ignited nearby combustibles. The fire extended up and out to the rest of the second and third floors, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Lynn Fire Capt. Joseph Zukas said a man from Boston admitted to setting off the fireworks, but it’s not yet known if charges will be filed.
Zukas considers the building to be a total loss — the roof appears to be burned off and there doesn’t seem to be anything supporting the walls, with pieces hanging off the left sides.
“It looks very severely damaged,” said Zukas. “It will probably have to be torn down.”
Zukas said at least eight to 10 people lived in the building and Red Cross assisted with placing five people.
“Six families have been displaced and we are very lucky nobody was seriously injured,” said Lynn Fire Chief Stephen Archer in a statement. “It is incidents like this which underscore why the possession and use of all fireworks by private citizens is illegal in Massachusetts.”
Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly four hours. It was extinguished around midnight. There was also heat damage to the house next door at 35 Congress St., with portions of the siding melted off.
In the past 10 years — from 2008 to 2017 — there have been 784 major fire and explosion incidents involving illegal fireworks that have been reported statewide, resulting in 10 civilian injuries, four fire service injuries and an estimated property dollar loss of $1.9 million, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Fire officials said most fireworks-related fires are outside brush fires and do not usually have high loss figures, but can tax firefighters and tie up firefighting resources for a long time.
“With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, we want to remind the public to leave the fireworks to the professionals,” said State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey in a statement.
Zukas said firefighters were hindered by a problem with nearby fire hydrants not working and heavy, thick smoke banking down on the neighborhood and staying close to the ground.
The fire was jointly investigated by the Lynn Fire and Police departments, along with State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
