A massive 9-alarm fire engulfed a motel located in Salisbury, Massachusetts, and burned down at least four other buildings early on Monday, displacing dozens of locals as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze.
The fire was driven by powerful winds and was first reported shortly after 1:45 a.m. at Michael's Oceanfront Motel at 40 Central Avenue. Large flames were seen throughout the building and fire officials said that an employee with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation was the one who called 911 after seeing smoke and flames.
Massive Salisbury Fire
The motel was only one of the buildings affected by the fire, and nearby, a 12-unit apartment and three homes were also set ablaze. Salisbury fire officials said that the recent incident is the worst that the region has seen in the last two and a half decades.
Authorities believe the fire could have started in the area between the motel and the apartment building. Living across the street from the fire, Robin Weisenstein was woken up by firefighters at around 2:45 a.m. The resident said that she looked over and saw flames at the top of a building coming towards her direction, NBC Boston reported.
There were more than 100 firefighters and 30 pieces of fire equipment that responded to the blaze from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The conditions that firefighters worked in were brutal due to high winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour and heavy rain.
Salisbury Fire Captain Andrew Murphy who said that the fire was the largest the town has seen in 25 years added that the situation was made worse due to hurricane-force winds. The official noted that members of the department did everything they could.
Fortunately, authorities reported that there were no known injuries caused by the blaze and that two occupants who were inside the motel were able to escape safely. Additionally, many of the surrounding buildings were unoccupied seasonal properties, Boston Globe reported.
Responding to the Flames
The Red Cross in Massachusetts said in the hours after the fire that its volunteers were already assisting more than 30 residents who were displaced from the area by the fire. Video of the fire was captured and shared on social media platforms that showed firefighters battling heavy blazes as the flames continued to spread through other nearby buildings.
The North Hampton Fire & Rescue Department in New Hampshire confirmed it was sending out troops to help with the blaze in a Facebook post. The department added that because multiple buildings were on fire, the incident needed the massive mutual cooperated response of three states.
The department also shared a video that was posted on Facebook by a user known as Michael Kent who identified himself as a firefighter with the Newburyport Fire Department in Massachusetts. The footage showed flames of the fire ripping through various structures in the area. Kent did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the incident.
In a Twitter post, the Salisbury Police Department said that roadways near the scene of the blaze would be closed off as crew members continued to fight the fire. Authorities also urged residents to avoid the area for their own safety, NBC News reported.
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