State unable to determine cause of foam factory fire

May 08--PEABODY -- State fire investigators have been unable to conclusively determine the cause of the 2016 fire that destroyed a Peabody foam plant, according to the fire investigation report.

The report, completed Feb. 1 by state police fire investigator Peter Bramante, says while they could not rule out an electrical event involving the wiring or electrical panels, investigators also could not rule out the plant's metal halide lighting fixture as a potential cause.

The report was obtained by The Salem News through a public records request.

The July 12, 2016, blaze at the Lifoam plant at 2 Fifth St. burned for nearly a week because the heavy smoke and high heat made it too dangerous for firefighters to remain inside.

The building's rubber membrane roof also made it impossible to get water inside the building to the fire, according to the report.

The fire appears to have started near or in a ceiling, investigators said, after interviewing more than 20 witnesses who were there that day. Some employees said they first saw fire at the ceiling level, just above polystyrene foam packaging that was being stored there, and adjacent to an area where "gel packs" were being stored.

The plant manufactured polystyrene foam coolers.

One worker said he ran to get a fire extinguisher, but by the time he returned, burning insulation was falling from the ceiling.

Investigators say the heavy structural damage to the plant limited their access to the building after the fire had burned out, hindering their investigation.

An engineering assessment conducted after the fire concluded the building was unsafe to enter. Investigators could only get as far as an office area, near the gel pack storage rack.

"Heavy damage was observed to the ceiling and roof in the area immediately above the area where Styrofoam coolers were stacked and stored," the report says. "There were also electrical conduits and electric panels located in this area. Metal halide lights were in use in the warehouse ceiling in this area."

"As a result of our limited scene examination, coupled with witness interviews, we were unable to determine the cause of this fire," the report says.

"We were unable to rule out an electrical event involving the wiring and electric panels located near the area of origin. We were also unable to rule out the metal halide lighting fixture as a potential cause of the fire."

A civil suit filed last month in connection with the fire by National Fire Insurance, which provided coverage to the other business in the building, CNE Direct, lays blame for the fire on alleged unsafe storage of the polystyrene foam coolers and alleged defects in the installation of metal halide lighting fixtures.

The insurance company conducted its own investigation following the fire and at one point was in court seeking further access to the damaged structure before it was razed in 2016.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis.

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