The fire chief in Barre is crediting quick thinking by a Barre Opera House employee and quick work by firefighters for avoiding what could have been a catastrophic situation.
The fire broke out late yesterday afternoon in the Blanchard Block, a century-old brick building that adjoins Barre’s City Hall and the Barre Opera House.
It was reported by Dan Casey, the executive director of the Opera House, who smelled smoke from his third-floor office.
His call helped firefighters get a head start suppressing the fire, which is believed to have begun in a first-floor restaurant.
Mayor Thomas Lauzon says the fire could have destroyed the building and threatened City Hall and another building had the response not been so swift.