Update: 100 Putnam Ave Fire

September 21, 2015
For Immediate Release:

Since May 30, 2015, fire investigators from the Cambridge Fire Department and the Massachusetts State Police have been investigating the fire that occurred at 100 Putnam Ave. On August 31, 2015, the final Fire Investigations Report for Incident #14013039 was completed. The report states that “based on information developed through the investigation, it is the opinion of the Cambridge Fire Investigations Office that the origin of this fire was in the area of the low burn patterns located on the roof where the vertical framing for the HVAC and exhaust enclosure intersected with the horizontal roofline.  After eliminating all other potential ignition sources, the cause of the fire has been ruled accidental as a result of careless disposal of smoking material.” The City appreciates the hard work and dedication that public safety personnel demonstrated on the day of the fire and during the months of investigation that followed.

The new school building located at 100 Putnam Ave, will be turned over to the School Department in December and the inaugural classes of the Martin Luther King Jr. and Putnam Avenue Upper Schools will commence shortly thereafter.

“The City’s Contractor, WT Rich, has done an extraordinary job of ensuring the timely restoration of the building to its pre-fire condition” said Richard C. Rossi, Cambridge City Manager. “They have produced a first class educational facility for the Cambridge Community.”