Fall River Fire Damages Several Businesses

Fall River firefighters were dousing hot spots at a multi-business building Tuesday morning more than 12 hours after a fire broke out and caused at least $1 million in damage.

Despite the continued work at the Mariano Bishop Boulevard property, "the fire is under control," Fire Chief Roger St. Martin said.

Burns Power Tools took the biggest hit, losing an estimated $1 million to $1.5 million in tools and inventory, and sustaining "severe" damage to the building itself, Martin said. The adjoining Subway, Cozy Kettle restaurant and a salon have smoke and water damage.  A neighboring building sustained smoke damage.

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No injuries were reported.

This morning, firefighters were monitoring the scene for hot spots, challenged by the collapse of elevated storage levels in the building and a large amount of stock in the power tool business as the company was preparing for a show and the holiday season. In addition, lithium-ion batteries, which power cordless tools, can reignite when damaged. "We are addressing this issue," St. Martin said.

The cause is under investigation, but video appears to show "some type of system failure" within the building, St. Martin said. The video is not clear and the camera was not directed at the fire's origin.