OXFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — The investigation continues following a three-alarm fire at a timber mill in Oxford, Massachusetts. Oxford is about 45 minutes from Providence.
It started just after 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Jarmak Corporation on Old Webster Road.
At the beginning, crews faced a problem getting enough water to douse the massive fire. They had to truck in 10 tankers of water, drawing some of it from a nearby pond.
Officials were worried the fire could affect air quality because the building used to house a chemical company and it’s also next door to a business that removes asbestos.The concern was the fire would send toxins into the air.
Hazmat crews and the Department of Environmental Protection were called in to monitor the air quality.
In the end, officials determined the air was safe but it took hours for firefighters to put out the flames.
“The community was challenged tonight, and I think they did a great job not being in the water district, that they were able to establish a water supply,” State Fire Marshal Steve Coan said.
Investigators are still working to figure out the cause of the fire.Courtney Caligiuri contributed to this report.
