Twenty-five years ago, a fire changed Lynn

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent

The fire devoured 19 buildings and derailed a $200 million urban renewal program in Lynn.

It drew up to 1,000 firefighters from almost 80 cities from cities and towns as far away as Exeter, N.H. The flames, which investigators determined had been intentionally lit in a shuttered shoe factory, burned for weeks.

The arsonist has never been caught. Today marks the 25th anniversary of the blaze.

"Biggest fire I'll ever see in my life," said Lynn Fire Chief Edward Higgins, who was a lieutenant when he answered the call on Nov. 28, 1981. "We remember that day, and we remember the damage it did."

Read the Globe’s coverage of the fire by clicking here.

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