Space heater eyed as cause in Lawrence fire

(Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

LAWRENCE -- A Christmas morning fire that gutted a small storefront church was probably caused by an electric space heater, fire officials said this morning.

The three-alarm fire broke out at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday at the one-story brick building on Newbury Street, a thickly settled stretch of homes and shops.

"It's a strong possibility that the heater started an electrical fire," said Lawrence Fire Chief Peter Takvorian. "Everything is pointing to that electrical outlet." Officials are continuing to investigate the cause, he said.

Takvorian said the pastor of the Iglesia Nueva Jerusalem church told investigators that the portable heater was turned off but remained plugged in. The fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage. The building owner did not have insurance, Takvorian said.

The building was vacant at the time and there were no injuries. Firefighters controlled the fire within 20 minutes despite heavy winds, Takvorian said.

"It was really howling," he said. It was all firefighters could do to keep the fire from spreading to the homes and stores nearby.

"That was a tough thing, given the conditions," he said.

Neighbors said the church was a mainstay of the largely Hispanic neighborhood. It included a thrift shop that sold clothes and small appliances. Today, the building was boarded up, its metal shutters darkened and its red brick walls charred.

"There's a danger of collapse," Takvorian said. "There's extensive damage and it will take a lot to rehabilitate it."

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires, and nearly half of all home fires occur in December, January, and February, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In 2005, heating equipment fires accounted for 16 percent of all reported home fires and 22 percent of home fire deaths. Space heaters, whether portable or stationary, accounted for one-third of the home heating fires and three-fourths of home heating fire deaths, the association found.

Hector Diaz, a 34-year-old who attended services at the church, drove by the church yesterday to see the damage. He paused for a few minutes before driving away.

"It's very sad," he said, shaking his head as he surveyed the scene, "especially on Christmas."

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