Editor’s note: A detailed update on this breaking news story can be found here.
BURRILLVILLE – A fire that began during rush hour Friday evening destroyed the roof of a garage at Zambarano Hospital that has long held equipment for the Wallum Lake Fire District.
The two-alarm blaze began around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7 burning the structure on Wallum Lake Road with equipment, including a fire engine, still inside. The roof would collapse before firefighters on scene were finally able to extinguish the blaze just after 6 p.m..
Water was pulled from the nearby lake to fight the fire, with mutual aid provided by several surrounding departments.
The Wallum Lake District has long operated on the hospital grounds, working under the umbrella of the Pascoag Fire Department in recent years. According to fire officials, fire trucks on the property have provided convenience, while helping to bring down insurance rates for both the hospital and surrounding residents, with the nearest station located some 4.5 miles away from the small outpost.
The garage destroyed Friday evening was reportedly built by maintenance people at the hospital more than 20 years ago, and was known to sit on a cracking and sinking foundation. The structure had no heat or running water, and was typically warmed by space heaters to keep equipment from freezing. Recent efforts to obtain funding from the state to improve to the facility have failed.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
