Electrical or mechanical cause eyed in Hook lobster company fire

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

A day after the fire, workers checked the pollution containment boom set up around the destroyed business.

By Globe Staff

Boston Fire Department investigators have determined that an electrical or mechanical problem was the most probable cause of the fire that destroyed the James Hook & Co. lobster business, a landmark on the Boston waterfront.

The origin of the fire, which caused an estimated loss of $5 million, was the center of the building, which was totally consumed by fire, making a final determination unlikely, the fire department said today in a statement.

The investigators have ruled out arson as a cause in the seven-alarm blaze on May 30, the statement said.

Investigators, who were assisted by Boston Police and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, based their findings on interviews with firefighters who were first on the scene, on physical evidence, burn patterns, interviews with company owners and employees, and other factors, the statement said.

It took more than 135 firefighters, a scuba team, and a Massachusetts Port Authority fireboat to douse the flames in the lobster warehouse at the corner of Atlantic and Northern Avenues. Lobsters worth as much as $1 million were destroyed in the early morning blaze.

The owners of the 83-year-old family business have vowed to rebuild on their original site, nestled in the shadow of gigantic office towers.

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