Fire puts Gateway businesses on street temporarily

Posted 6/18/15

An interior ductwork fire at Gateway Plaza on Warwick Avenue temporarily closed all plaza businesses Wednesday afternoon. The incident began around 1:30 p.m., and business owners and patrons were …

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Fire puts Gateway businesses on street temporarily

A ladder truck provides firefighters access to the roof from the rear of Gateway Plaza yesterday afternoon. A majority of the building was unaffected, although businesses had to evacuate, as the fire was contained above the laundromat.

FIRE WASHED OUT: Warwick firefighters and a National Grid utility worker assess the scene of the fire at the Lovely Little Laundromat on Warwick Avenue. The fire was quickly contained and no injuries were reported.

HAIRY SITUATION: Sarah Mulhearn (left), owner of The Hairport Salon, stands outside her shop with her customer, Ann Lizak, and co-worker, Michelle Lachapelle. Ann was in the middle of getting her hair done when the fire broke out. The trio had been outside for about an hour waiting for the okay to return inside and finish the haircut.

Posted Thursday, June 18, 2015 1:23 pm

An interior ductwork fire at Gateway Plaza on Warwick Avenue temporarily closed all plaza businesses Wednesday afternoon. The incident began around 1:30 p.m., and business owners and patrons were forced to evacuate the premises as the fire was contained.

“The fire was located in the ductwork above the dry cleaners shop. We took much of the ductwork out to get at the fire, throughout the whole length of the building I believe,” said Battalion Chief Robert Parmenter, referring to the Lovely Little Laundromat.

Those affected outside darkened shops waited for the okay to return. An investigation as to the fire’s cause was ongoing as of press time.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries reported,” said Chief Parmenter. (Text and photos by Tim Forsberg)