Investigation of the explosion and subsequent fire began before the flames were
under control. Due to the magnitude of the direct loss and economic impact on the community,
the number of serious injuries and the size of the site, the investigation became
a complex operation with many participants. The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal
assigned a team to manage the overall investigation process, with individuals from several
other agencies assisting and cooperating, including a strike team from the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. In addition, experts from the property and business
insurers and independent investigators with expertise in specific areas were brought in
to work with the investigation team.
The investigation continued for several months, partially due to the problem of
excavating the site to search for evidence. The rubble of several large buildings, including
boilers and heavy machinery, was covered with ice and snow. As the weather permitted,
the site was methodically cleared, searching for clues that would help to identify the
cause of the initial explosion and explain the rapid fire spread throughout the complex.
While there were many theories and dozens of witness statements, there was no
clear explanation of where and how the explosion originated. The flocking process that
occurred in the hopper room was implicated, however there was also evidence to suggest
that the origin was related to the dryers or the oil heating system. Different witnesses
provided different observations; none could fully explain the sequence of events
that occurred. Most of the witnesses agreed that there was no indication of a problem
before the initial explosion occurred.
In addition to searching for the cause of the explosion, the construction of the
buildings and the details of the fire protection systems were analyzed and documented.
Most of the plans were destroyed in the fire and many of the details of the system
arrangements could only be obtained from the careful examination of the ruins over several
months of investigation.
At the time this report was prepared, the official cause of the explosion had not
been determined.
Next » Lessons Learned
Save to del.icio.us
