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Schools closed, commuter rail down after massive warehouse fire burns through the night in Chelsea
Cars parked nearby remained inaccessible Monday morning.
A 9-alarm fire broke out at an abandoned warehouse in Chelsea around midnight on Monday, drawing firefighters from as far as Newton and suspending the Newburyport/Rockport Line Monday, Boston 25 News reported.
The fire started in a vacant warehouse on Forbes Street that dates back to the 1900s. According to Boston25 News, it was formerly the Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company and closed in the 1960s when the company was sold. It’s been abandoned since then, with the brief exception of a developer who wanted to convert it into offices and apartments in 2008 but ultimately gave up on the project.
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In a Facebook post, the Chelsea Police Department announced that classes would be canceled at the nearby Mary C. Burke Elementary Complex, which includes all of the city’s elementary schools: Berkowitz Elementary, Kelly Elementary, Hooks Elementary, and Sokolowski Elementary. All other schools in the city remain open.
It also reported that Broadway at the Revere line was closed to traffic entering Chelsea, although it had reopened by 9:30 a.m. Crescent Avenue remained closed between Eastern Avenue and Clinton Street, however, including intersecting streets. Cars parked on Eastern Avenue, Crescent Avenue, and Clinton Street were not accessible as of that time.
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“Any streets in the immediate area that may be adjacent to an inflated hose laid onto the roadway, you will not be able to move your vehicle as it will damage the water source,” the police department said, urging people to find “alternate arrangements to get to work.”
Passengers on the Newburyport/Rockport Line will be accommodated with shuttle buses between Chelsea and Lynn in both directions, according to the MBTA, though riders should expect delays.
A video shared by Boston 25 News on X showed the entire building covered in flames. The blaze brought several hundred firefighters from Belmont, Waltham, Brookline, and other communities, reported WHDH, who got the bulk of the fire out. Crews will remain on site throughout the day.
The Cambridge Fire Department shared images and videos throughout the morning on its Facebook account, starting at 1:57 a.m. with a photo of the fire. It said Cambridge Engines 4 and 5, Ladder 2, Squad 3, and Division 1 were on site. In a post made at 7:35 a.m. the situation appeared to be mostly resolved, though it reported “elevated master streams are still operating at the Chelsea 9-alarm fire.”
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