Fire Marshall Finds Bad Wiring Caused Norwood Civic Association Fire-This Day In Norwood History-June 13, 1930

A detailed report issued yesterday at the State House by State Fire Marshal John W. Reth concluded that the fire which destroyed the Norwood Civic Association building on April 21 was caused by overloaded and defective electrical wiring. In presenting his findings, Marshal Reth stated, “Nowhere is there a scintilla of evidence denoting incendiaries,” firmly ruling out any suspicion of arson.

Marshal Reth emphasized what he described as “an extraordinary lack of proper inspection,” noting that the fire could have been prevented had the electrical work been examined regularly and brought into compliance with the electrical code. “If this work had been regularly inspected before new and repair work and the full standard of the electrical code adhered to, the fire would not have resulted,” he declared.

The report explained that investigators pursued every possible lead. “Every available source of investigation was followed through to the end. Every known clue or suggestion was followed, and nowhere is there a scintilla of evidence denoting incendiarism. The cause of the fire is overloaded, defective electric wiring.”

Marshal Reth’s findings described a series of hazardous conditions inside the building. According to the report, no permits had been issued by the town’s wiring inspector for any repair work, nor was there evidence of a permit for the original wiring. Investigators found that the building lacked a main switch at the point where the feed wires entered. The main panel board, located in the center of the structure, contained a collection of tin cans, bottles, coat hooks, and other metallic objects that should not have been present.

The report further stated that the power mains had been pulled tightly against two T and B bushings, creating a point where a short circuit could occur. This short circuit, the report noted, could have been triggered by an overload, by vibration within the building, or by someone jarring the panel board in its compromised condition.

Additional hazards were documented throughout the electrical system. The main lighting feeds were carrying loads approximately two and one half times their rated capacity. Branch circuits had been fused up to 30 amperes. Wires supplying the stage panel were also overloaded. The main power switch had been installed in such a way that, when opened, it rested directly on the power meter.

From the transformer on the pole outside the building to the branch circuits and sub circuits in the stage and basement areas, investigators found what the report described as “an extraordinary lack of proper inspection and the rudiments of electric engineering.” The cumulative effect of these conditions, according to Marshal Reth, left the building vulnerable to the very type of electrical failure that ultimately destroyed it.

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