Lumber Co. Fire Probed By State-July 6, 1953

Early on the morning of Sunday, July 5, 1953, the tranquility of Norwood was shattered by a general alarm fire that swept through the Friend Lumber Company plant, situated prominently along Route 1. The conflagration, described by observers as the most spectacular fire in the local area in recent years, resulted in an estimated $100,000 in damages. The fire was first discovered by a passing motorist, who promptly telephoned an alarm to the Norwood Fire Station at 1:01 a.m.

Upon receiving the report, Norwood firefighting apparatus was dispatched to the scene under the command of Lt. John Howard. When the crews arrived, they were met with a daunting sight; flames were already breaking through a section of the roof in the middle of the 150-foot-long structure. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Lt. Howard ordered the recall whistle to be sounded at the fire station, a signal that summoned all off-duty firefighters back to their posts. As the intensity of the blaze grew, the department called upon the neighboring towns of Westwood, Dedham, and Walpole for critical assistance. The Walpole fire apparatus, led by Fire Chief Aaron Hill, arrived to “fill in” at the Norwood fire station, providing necessary coverage for the town while local crews fought the fire. Meanwhile, firefighters from Westwood and Dedham joined the Norwood contingent to battle the flames directly.

Despite the intensity of the inferno, which consumed the plant’s inventory of finished lumber, building supplies, and paints, crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the piles of lumber stored in the yard. Norwood Fire Chief Harry Butler, Deputy Chief Irving Dobson, and Capt. Joseph McCormack all responded to the scene while off-duty, helping to coordinate the firefighting efforts. Town Manager Walter Blasenak was also present to assess the emergency, conferring with Martin Feeney of the Water Department to ensure that there was an ample supply of water to feed the hundreds of feet of hoselines deployed. Furthermore, Howard Casler, the local Red Cross disaster officer, contacted his Boston headquarters, resulting in the arrival of a Red Cross truck to provide coffee and donuts to the exhausted firefighters who remained on the scene long after daybreak.

The fire’s impact necessitated significant traffic diversions. Norwood Police Chief Mark Folan ordered all off-duty policemen who could be located to report to the site. State Police from the Foxboro barracks arrived to assist local officers in shutting off all Route 1 traffic and re-routing vehicles down Dean Street and at Sumner Street. The highway was reopened to traffic in both directions only after firemen were able to pull the hoselines through a culvert under Route 1.

The company’s leadership acted quickly to mitigate the loss. The plant manager, John A. Kelly, was summoned from his home on Second Street. He successfully rescued some of the company’s vital books before the flames infiltrated the front office. He then notified Isaac Carny, one of the owners of the firm who also operated a plant in Medford. Mr. Carny arrived from Newton to confer with Mr. Kelly regarding plans to keep the plant operational and to ensure that customer orders could be filled via their Medford facility. Notably, in a display of community spirit, firemen managed to save two of the three trucks garaged at the rear of the building. These vehicles had been promised to the Norwood Lions Club and the Norwood Council, Knights of Columbus, for use in the upcoming Fourth of July parade.

The origin of the blaze remains undetermined and is currently being investigated by Lt. Detective Jeremiah Sullivan of the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger