Some ‘Great’ Fires That Devastated Massachusetts Communities

Fire is a part of life. When harnessed and used responsibly, fire keeps us warm and cooks food for us to eat. Fire can melt, mold, bake and light our way – when used responsibly.

When not used responsibly or allowed to burn out of control, fire can be among the most destructive forces on Earth. We are witnessing that destructive power with the recent wildfires ravaging portions of Southern California.

Massachusetts has experienced fire's wrath and the death and devastation that often accompanies it.

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A fire at New Bedford's Pairpoint Mill in October 1965, fueled by 35-40 mile per hour winds, obliterated the historic brick mill on Prospect Street. The fire also destroyed the nearby Gunderson Building and heavily damaged the Containor Building.

On May 11, 1982, Fall River residents watched in horror as a fire in the Flint neighborhood destroyed the Notre Dame de Lourdes Church. The Fall River Herald News recalls the wind-swept fire would "leave 300 people displaced, damage or destroy 27 homes across five blocks, cause at least $13 million in damage, and leave a permanent scar on the neighborhood."

On December 3, 1999, fire swept through the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse, an old abandoned mill on Franklin Street. Six firefighters died when the interior floors collapsed to the second-story level. Esquire called it "the perfect fire."

The Great Boston Fire of November 9, 1872, was Boston's largest fire and is considered one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history. Mass Moments says, "On this day in 1872, a monstrous fire nearly destroyed Boston's business district, ravaging the city from the Common to the waterfront."

The site says, "The blaze reduced 65 acres of commercial property – almost 1,000 businesses – to ruins."

On June 25, 1914, the "Great Salem Fire" began at the Korn Leather Co. in Blubber Hollow, the leather manufacturing district. The New England Historical Society says, "The firestorm gobbled up 1,376 buildings, leaving homeless 18,000 people."