Woonsocket Fire Marshal: Blackstone Street Fire Caused by Construction Sparks

Renovation work to convert 160 Blackstone St. into five efficency units hit a setback Thursday afternoon when sparks from a grinding unit lit construction materials on fire.

The , and injured one of the construction workers at the scene, said Lt. Scott Popovich, assistant fire marshal at the Woonsocket Fire Marshal's office.

"They saw it happen," Popovic said, at about 3:45 p.m. and called the fire department to the scene. Woonsocket Fire Department Engine 3 was first on scene to the two-alarm fire, which firefighters had extinquished within about half an hour.

The fire, which has been ruled accidental, came just as work to finish the building for rent was wrapping up. "They were in the last stages, actually," Popovic said.

One of the workers was burned in the fire, suffering injuries to his lower legs. There was no immediate information available on his condition.