Hundreds of residents of Worcester, Massachusetts were forced out of their apartment complex early Thanksgiving morning after an electrical fire in the building forced a mass evacuation, according to authorities.
Officials say it wasn't the graveness of the fire that caused the evacuation. Apparently, the fire itself was put out shortly after firefighters arrived. Officials say the real problem came from where the fire started: the building's electrical room.
The fire caused significant damage to the building's electrical system, and because of the scale of repairs necessary, tenants of Plumley Village High Rise were forced to relocate - officials say between 300 and 400 people.
“Any time residents are displaced from their home due to a fire is cause for alarm, but to have hundreds of families displaced on Thanksgiving morning is tragic,” said Acting City Manager Eric D. Batista and Acting Fire Chief Martin Dyer.
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“Our crisis response teams went to work swiftly this morning and are collaborating with partner agencies on housing and resources for the displaced," Batista and Dyer continued. "We ask for privacy for these individuals during this difficult time and in the days ahead.”
According to an unnamed tenant who spoke with NBC 10 Boston, they never saw fire, but only smoke coming from the electrical room. Shortly after seeing the smoke, the power went out in the building. The unnamed tenant also said the managers of the apartment have moved her and her fellow tenants into a nearby hotel, but she doesn't know when she'll be able to return.
Plumley Village High Rise holds 120 apartments, all vacant this Thanksgiving while repairs are done to the building. Officials say the timeframe for the repairs isn't yet clear.
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