Worcester City Councilors are calling for a review of the city’s fine structure after the construction manager of the Doherty High construction site received what one city councilor called a “pretty minimal” fine.
Fontaine Bros., Inc. will be fined a total of $300 by the Worcester Fire Department for three violations that were discovered following a fire at the construction site on Sep. 12, according to a spokesperson for the city.
The fire, which sent a large plume of dark smoke into the air, was caused by a welding incident, according to fire officials. At the time of the fire, the Fontaine Bros. hot work permit had expired.
The violations against Fontaine Bros. include performing hot work in non-designated locations without a hot work permit, failure of the hot work operator to handle equipment so as to not endanger lives and failure to comply with requirements relating to the safeguarding of structures undergoing construction, alteration or demolition.
Councilor At-Large Kathleen Toomey requested the review of the fine system, which her fellow city councilors voted in favor of, saying the fines were “pretty minimal” considering the amount of time and effort the city put into putting out the fire and the impact on the city.
Councilor At-Large Khrystian King called for the public, as well as the council, to be given a “refresher” on the city’s fine scale and the city’s oversight process so they could have a better understanding of why certain actions were taken.
- Read More: Doherty High School fire had ‘no structural damage with minimal impact on timeline costs’
There was also a request for more details about the Sep. 12 fire.
Councilor At-Large Donna Colorio requested a report on the fire, saying that some questions remain about the type of insulation that fueled the fire and the expired permit.
Officials reported heavy flames and smoke from the roof of 299 Highland St. when they arrived at the scene just after 3 p.m. The fire was located on the roof of one of four buildings that are part of the construction of the new high school.
The fire department immediately started a “defense attack using aerial apparatus to put the fire out” and it was under control in about 30 minutes, Deputy Fire Chief Adam Roche reported.
The welding incident that caused the fire ignited roofing materials, according to a press release from the Worcester Fire Department and city of Worcester.
The roofing materials had been placed on the structure’s roof earlier in the day on Monday, Roche said, and fueled the fire.
The fire did not cause structural damage and will have minimal impact on the timeline and cost of the school’s construction, according to Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Rachel Monárrez. A construction worker at the site was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Following the fire, officials were not certain how the construction schedule for the over $300 million school project would be impacted. The school is scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2024.
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