[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 203 (Monday, December 18, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FIRE AT THE MALDEN MILLS

                                 ______


                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 18, 1995

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the firemen and 
the emergency services workers who worked so hard to extinguish a fire 
which burned down the Malden Mills in Methuen, MA, the region's largest 
textile manufacturer. I would particularly like to thank Chief Ken 
Bourassa of the Methuen Fire Department, who coordinated the 
firefighting efforts, and also Mayor Dennis A. DiZoglio, who is working 
with Federal and State agencies in order to rebuild the mills which are 
so important to his town.
  On December 12, there was an explosion in one of the buildings of the 
mill complex. Within a short period of time, the flames spread to the 
surrounding buildings, reducing four of them to ashes and damaging a 
fifth. The flames were fanned by winds which exceeded 45 miles per hour 
which hindered the efforts to contain the blaze. Firefighters also 
experienced collapses in their water lines. Despite these and other 
problems, they were able to contain the fire within 12 hours.
  Chief Bourassa assembled a force of over 100 firefighters from 30 
departments throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts to combat the 
fire. The operation that he organized on that evening was a model of 
cooperation. If it were not for the dedication of these professionals, 
the fire would have spread further, damaging a large section of Methuen 
and leaving hundreds homeless.
  Malden Mills is the region's largest manufacturer of textiles and 
also the town's largest employer. Each year, the company's sales exceed 
$500 million, and the plant employs over 1,400 workers. Its presence in 
the region has brought economic prosperity to Methuen and contributed 
to Merrimack Valley's commercial growth.
  Under Mayor DiZoglio's leadership, and with assistance from Lawrence 
Mayor Mary Claire Kennedy, plans are under way to rebuild the mills. He 
has secured funding from the Department of Labor and the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development to aid in the redevelopment. He has also 
been working to secure Federal disaster relief funds.
  I applaud the efforts of these officials to rebuild Malden Mills. 
With the leadership of Methuen's officials and with assistance from 
State and Federal agencies, Malden Mills will be rebuilt quickly. Then, 
like the Phoenix, it will rise from its ashes and once again take its 
place as the leading manufacturer in this region.

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