Raging Fire Engulfs Historic Enfield Building [VIDEOS]

ENFIELD, CT — A roaring blaze consumed a 19th-century town-owned building which had recently been nominated for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.

The fire at 33 North River St. was reported at 6:17 a.m. Mutual aid from all five town fire departments, as well as neighboring Suffield, helped control the blaze, which resulted in a partial building collapse, according to Mark Zarcaro, public information officer for the fire departments of Enfield.

Firefighters were hampered by the narrowness of streets in the area, which borders the Connecticut River. The 22,925 square foot, 4-story building is also adjacent to railroad tracks. Amtrak police were on hand, and trains scheduled to pass by the site were halted.

Less than two weeks ago, the circa 1893 brick building which formerly housed the Westfield Plate Co., the International Casket Hardware Co. and the Dow Mechanical Corp. was formally nominated for historic status. The State Historic Preservation Office had been scheduled to vote on the application this Friday.

According to town property records, the Enfield Community Development Corp. purchased the building from Dow Mechanical in 2014 for $165,000. In late 2017, the town bought the site for $146,760, with hopes of incorporating it into a redevelopment plan for the area, including a new train station.

State Rep. Tom Arnone told Patch, "I was shocked and saddened of the loss of this historic building. This will not change the plans for our proposed train station. The casket building was an additional project in the revitalization of this area."

Video: Mark Zarcaro/Fire Departments of Enfield

Video: Scott Prentiss

Video: Fran Crowley

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