Vacant Merrimac Paper mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, destroyed by Jan. 13 fire, will be demolished after investigation to determine cause of blaze

Debra Garcia

LAWRENCE, Massachusetts , January 15, 2014 (Associated Press) – The vacant Lawrence paper mill ravaged by afire earlier this week will be torn down.

Acting Fire Chief John Marsh says what remains of the building will be demolished after investigators determine what caused the blaze.

Marsh tells The eagle-Tribune he expected investigators would continue interviewing witnesses and picking through the charred heaps of bricks, beams and other debris for another day or two, then clear the way for demolition crews. He said the investigators are being aided by dogs trained to sniff out chemical accelerants used in setting fires.

The fire was reported late Monday afternoon at the vacant Merrimac Paper Co. building. One firefighter suffered a minor injury.

The facility made high-quality magazine paper and closed in 2005.

Information from: Eagle Tribune (North Andover, Mass.), http://www.eagletribune.com

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