Stevens Street blaze as seen from Winter Street.
Four male juveniles were ordered held without bail at their arraignment on arson charges Thursday at Lawrence Juvenile Court in connection with two fires at the former Hudson Machinery Company, 14-30 Stevens St., Haverhill.
Two 15-year olds and two others, ages 14 and 16, were ordered held by Judge Jose Sanchez in connection with fires on Wednesday, Sept. 16 and Sunday, Sept.20. The fire late Sunday afternoon destroyed the factory and warehouse building. Nineteen fire departments, including Haverhill, contained the flames over a 24-hour span.
A 15-year old male is charged with burning a building and breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony. A 14-year old male is charged with burning a building, burning a dwelling and breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony. Two other males, ages 15 and 16, are each charged with two counts of burning a building; burning a dwelling and two counts of breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony.
During the first fire, Sept. 16, the Haverhill Fire Department responded at approximately 2:20 p.m., according to Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett’s office. The fire was contained to a small area in the abandoned building and was deemed suspicious. On Sept. 20, at approximately 4:55 p.m., the Haverhill Fire Department responded to a fire at the same location. The fire was large and required the efforts of 30 area fire departments over three days. During the course of the fire, a nearby residential building at 9 Granville Court, also sustained damage.
A dangerousness hearing for the teens was scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Too little too late as far as these kids are concerned. Should have locked ’em up the first time they started a fire at this building. These young people are incorrigible!
As far as the overtime is concerned, don’t they have a reserve for these things? These dumb little twerps who set the fires should be on the hook for the overtime, and should work their tails off to pay the cost of their misdeeds!
Acting fire chief Jack Parow is claiming the city is on the hook for $46,000.00 in overtime costs and $3,000.00 to fix two fire engines he ‘claims’ were damaged in the fire. Typical fire hack looking to feed at the trough. Why should taxpayers pay one penny in overtime costs? The vast majority of the time these city employees are literally sitting around doing nothing!! Now when an event happens that they do actually have to do something they pile on ringing up the OT as usual. This is outrageous!!! Especially with this group of city employees who have ripped off taxpayers at every chance they get.
How about if we just deduct it from the $55,000.00 these employees stole from taxpayers just a couple of years ago??
What kind of department is Parow running that one fire disables two trucks? The reality is that he’s an experienced union hack that knows he can’t let a good tragedy like this fire go by without getting something out of it for himself.