WPRO Newsroom
Providence fire crews worked through the night to put down a five alarm blaze which broke out in an abandoned factory building on Kinsley Avenue in Providence.
Smoke could be seen billowing over the Providence skyline around 12:00AM Tuesday, fire fighters quickly formed a defensive perimeter around the building to keep the flames from spreading to other buildings. At the height of the fire, Providence had seven ladder companies and twelve engine companies.
The fire did not reach surrounding businesses, however a medical marijuana growing facility at the rear section of the factory building was heavily damaged by water.
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza told the WPRO Morning News with Gene Valicenti that by 6:00AM crew had put most of the fire down leaving the building severely damaged with three collapsed walls and roof.
“There are steel beams that I saw twisted up like spaghetti; that’s how intense and how big the fire was,” said Elorza.
The Department of Environmental Management released a statement saying the air quality around the factory is “very unhealthy,” saying fine particles released by the fire may cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Providence residents are advised to limit outdoor activity.
One fire fighter injured his shoulder during the course of the operation and it has not been positively determined if anyone had been inside at the time of the fire.
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