11/27/2012 - Just before 0530 hours on the cold morning of Tuesday, November 27th, 2012 the Hanson Fire Department responded to the area of 1000 Main Street, Route-27, for a possible structure fire. Hanson Fire Chief Jerome Thompson was the first to arrive on-scene and reported a working fire in a vacant structure. Chief Thompson immediately requested a working fire assignment, and requested an additional engine to the scene. This would bring Whitman and Pembroke engine's to the scene along with Hanson's already responding apparatus. The vacant twenty foot by one hundred foot commercial building at 999 Main Street was fully involved when crews arrived. Hanson Engine-3 dumped their monitor while a supply line was obtained. Whitman Engine-2 grabbed a hydrant and used their deck gun and a Blitz gun off a three inch hand line at the rear of the building. Pembroke's engine laid a supply line for Hanson Tower-1 which utilized its master stream. The State Fire Marshal's office was requested in the early stages of the blaze. A string of suspicious fires has plagued the South Shore area of Massachusetts, with suspicious fires occurring in two neighboring towns in the early morning hours just one day before. Another suspicious fire that went to three alarms occurred in Quincy MA, just a few hours prior to this blaze. The Hanson Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the State Fire Marshal, the Massachusetts State Police, and the ATF. K-9's could be seen sniffing through the debris throughout the morning as snow flurries covered the scene. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation but it is considered to be suspicious. No injuries were reported at the scene. The State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan asks that anyone with information regarding any of the recent fires throughout the South Eastern part of Massachusetts, or that may have seen something suspicious to call the arson hotline at 800-682-9229. All information can be confidential and people that report information could be eligible for a $5,000 reward.
