Worcester Fire Joins Merrimack Valley Gas Explosion Response

WORCESTER, MA—Worcester firefighters headed to the Merrimack Valley, joining several other Massachusetts first responders to respond to the gas explosions and fires in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover that broke out Friday afternoon.

Worcester joins surrounding communities of Millbury and Auburn in response to the disaster.

"Proud that we were able to offer some assistance to Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover today," said Worcester Fire Department in a Tweet. "The MA fire service lived up to its proud reputation over the last 24 hours and demonstrated our ability to cross boundaries and help any community in need."

State and local officials said Friday morning that emergency workers were making slow but steady progress in clearing residents of Lawrence, North Andover and Andover to return to their homes after at least 60 fires broke out. At a news conference Friday, officials stressed that even once cleared to return home, residents should not attempt to turn on their own gas service but should instead call Columbia Gas.

As the focus turned from emergency response to investigating the cause of gas explosions that caused the fires, National Grid said electricity to 18,500 customers in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence would be shut off at least until 9 am on Saturday morning, while Columbia Gas said it needed to inspect 8,000 individual gas hookups before determining whether they would be safe to turn on.
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Dave Copeland, Patch staff, contributed to this report.

Photo via Millbury Fire Department