As the investigation into a fire that broke out at a Fall River, Mass., mill early Saturday morning continues, officials say they feel like something is off about the incident, classifying it as "suspicious."
The fire broke out on the second floor of the vacant mill on Weaver Street at around 3 a.m., with firefighters arriving shortly after. The task of extinguishing the flames was an arduous one, exacerbated by windy weather that caused burning embers and heavy smoke to threaten the mill as well as nearby buildings, according to NECN.
Fall River District Fire Chief Doug Sullivan told local media how fierce the flames were, revealing that eight large windows had heavy flames pouring out of them. He also noted that the fire department has had problems with the mill in the past.
"We've had problems with this mill before," he said, according to CBS Boston. "There are no sprinklers to this mill, so there were no sprinklers to feed (to) to put out this fire."
Fire crews worked well into the evening trying to put out the flames, as well as preventing them from spreading to nearby buildings. Though they were successful in putting out, and no one was injured during the incident, the mill was scorched in its entirety, leaving a smoldering skeleton as a reminder of what once stood at the site.
With the fire extinguished, officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, which they have deemed suspicious because of the mill's vacancy at the time of the blaze, according to CBS Rhode Island affiliate WPRI-TV.
