Crime & Safety

North Andover Firefighters Help Battle Lawrence Blaze

The massive fire tore through two buildings near the Merrimack River.

rushed into Lawrence Thursday to help deal with a 3-alarm fire on Water Street.

The fire ripped through a three-story home at 267 Water St.and spread to a second three-story home next door. Firefighters managed to put the fire out, but the damage is extensive.

Fire Departments from several area communities responded with mutual aid, including North Andover, North Reading, Andover, Tewksbury and Wilmington.

Find out what's happening in North Andoverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It's bad," North Andover Firefighter Sean Fountain said at the scene. He, along with firefighters John Weir and Scott Swiniarski brought Engine 1 to Lawrence to help.

"When we got to Broadway we could smell the smoke from across town," Fountain said.

Find out what's happening in North Andoverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

One complication the three North Andover firefighters faced was related to water pressure. With so many trucks using the same water line, pressure was extremely low.

"We were supplying the feeder from Hancock Street down to Water Street," Fountain said. At the hydrant they were using, "we only had about 40 lbs. of pressure. So we were using the water from our own tank."

No injuries were reported in the fire.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.