‘Historic’ six-alarm fire destroys South Lynnfield strip mall

TWO PEABODY FIREFIGHTERS helped fight the six-alarm fire at The Shops at Post Office Square strip mall on Sept. 10. (Eric Evans Photo)

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — A massive six-alarm overnight fire destroyed five businesses located at The Shops at Post Office Square strip mall on Sept. 10.

Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director Glenn Davis stated in a post on the Fire Department’s Facebook page that the Fire Department received a box alarm at 8 Post Office Sq. at 9:24 p.m. He wrote that Capt. Chris Cavalieri saw “fire showing through the roof” at Old Towne Market when Engine 1 arrived at the scene.

“Engine 1 stretched a line and conducted an interior attack,” said Davis.

Davis informed the Villager that he struck a second alarm shortly after arriving at the scene due to the “nature and volume of the fire.”

“I shortly thereafter struck a third alarm and we ultimately went to six alarms for mutual aid response from surrounding communities,” said Davis.

Davis said The Shops at Post Office Square did not have any sprinklers because it was “an old building.”

“The building was wood frame construction with a common attic space for all of the businesses,” said Davis. “Once the fire was in the attic, it just ran from end-to-end in the building. The fire progressed through the attic of the building, making conditions untenable. All companies were ordered out of the structure for safety as ceilings collapsed.”

Davis said there were no firefighters and civilians injured during the blaze.

In addition to Old Towne Market, Davis said the six-alarm fire destroyed Dunkin’ Donuts, Fitness Together, Wal’s Cleaners and Cervizzi’s Martial Arts Academy.

“I believe that the only business that will remain standing will be Bank of America, which sustained minimal damage,” said Davis. “I don’t know when they will reopen for business, but I think they are going to end up being okay structurally.”

THE REMAINS of Olde Towne Market and adjacent businesses located at The Shops at Post Office Square strip mall the day after a six-alarm fire destroyed them. (Dan Tomasello Photo)

Davis thanked the North Reading, Middleton, Reading, Saugus, Peabody, Lynn, Chelsea, Melrose, Revere, Salem, Danvers, Woburn, Swampscott, Wakefield, Beverly, Boxford and Stoneham Fire Departments for responding to the scene to provide mutual aid. Rehab Five, Armstrong Ambulance Service and Atlantic Ambulance also provided mutual aid.

“I want to thank all of our mutual aid partners,” said Davis. “Armstrong Ambulance and Atlantic Ambulance were on scene as a standby to support our firefighters. I want to thank Rehab Five because Roger Baker provides an amazing service. We had a lot of firefighters on scene working hard. He brought pizza and cold drinks to help rehab our firefighters in order to keep them safe and healthy. The mutual aid system in the fire service is what allows any community that cannot handle a fire of this size on their own. It worked well, and that is what it was built for.”

Davis said there were four firefighters working in the South Fire Station when The Shops at Post Office Square fire was reported. The town’s fiscal year 2025 operating budget for fiscal year 2025 included two career full-time firefighter positions. Davis requested four career firefighters the last two fiscal years to work overnight shifts in order to improve the Fire Department’s responses to calls at night.

When asked how the Lynnfield Fire Department’s response was, Davis said: “Better than average.”

“I had a better than average response from off-duty firefighters,” said Davis. “The two additional firefighters we added on July 1 made an impact. At the time of the fire, I had four firefighters in the station. The first engine arrived on scene five minutes after the initial call. It was already beyond their ability to put the fire out, but had it been a smaller fire, that rapid response with four firefighters would have made an impactful difference. I want to thank the town of Lynnfield for increasing our staffing with two additional members.”

Davis said the strip mall fire was the largest he has fought since he started working for the Fire Department in the late 1980s.

“People are comparing it to the Bali Hai fire and the Centre Congregational Church fire,” said Davis. “It is a historic fire in Lynnfield and it’s an iconic building.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.