Anngelle Wood
Jul 22, 2021
Updated: Jun 5, 2023
The Worcester warehouse fire was a massive disaster for the city. Six men were killed and 17 children left fatherless. Once it was learned what happened, it raised a lot of questions. How could this happen? Should the people who started the fire be charged? Can they be held responsible?
No event has impacted the city of Worcester more in the last 21 years than the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire. It showed what the city and its people are made of. On December 3, 1999, a fire broke out at an abandoned warehouse at 266 Franklin Street in Worcester, Massachusetts - a massive, six story windowless concrete box of a structure. Its maze-like design proved to be deadly.
The fire raged undetected for nearly two hours. More than 25 firefighters went in to fight it back. Six of those men didn't make it out. The Worcester Six: Paul Brotherton, Jeremiah Lucey, Thomas Spencer, Timothy Jackson, James Lyons, and Joseph McGuirk.
Source Links | Part Two
Worcesterma.gov - The Memorial
http://www.worcesterma.gov/fire/about-us/firefighters-memorial
MassLive.com - The Sons Carry On
Worcester Telegram - Band of Brothers
https://www.telegram.com/news/20191128/band-of-brothers-sons-of-late-firefighter-brotherton-carry-on-call-to-service
Worc Telegram - Danny Spencer Reflects On Life After His Dad’s Death in 1999
Worc Telegram - Worcester Firefighter Jerry Lucey relies on brotherhood as he navigates his father’s past
https://www.telegram.com/news/20191201/worcester-firefighter-jerry-lucey-relies-on-brotherhood-as-he-navigates-his-fathers-past
Worc Telegram - Ding On Tony Kwan
https://www.telegram.com/article/20091130/NEWS/911300360
Seacoast Online - Firefighters To Blame for their own death said warehouse owner
https://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20000605/news/306059989
Metrowest Daily News - Warehouse owner still prays for victims, families
https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/article/20091204/NEWS/312049892
Cape Cod Times - Wrongful Death Case and Settlement in deadly fire
https://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20020930/NEWS01/309309955
CNN - Couple Charged
http://archives.cnn.com/1999/US/12/08/firefighters.killed.01
CBS NEWS - Trial After Fire
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trial-after-fire
Court Records
Julie Ann Barnes
https://casetext.com/case/commonwealth-v-barnes-5
Thomas Levesque
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1013791.html
Worcester Telegram - The Accused Fire Suspects
https://www.telegram.com/article/20100122/NEWS/911119947?template=ampart
SeaCoast Online - Worcester fire suspect has long-lost sister
https://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20000515/News/305159990
Worcester Telegram - Julie Barnes Get On With Her Life https://www.telegram.com/article/20100122/NEWS/911209967
ABC News - Manslaughter Charges Dismissed
https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95698&page=1
Hartford Courant - Tragedy In Worcester: Childlike, Homeless And Accused, by Janice D'arcy
https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-12-09-9912090045-story.html
South Coast Today - Couple Makes a deal
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20020531/News/305319960
Firehouse.com - Developer settles with families
Archives
Boston Globe - In Worcester, Muted Support For Court's Warehouse Fire Ruling Relatives, Firefighters Back SJC Ruling On Fatal Worcester Fire, by Jenna Russell, Mar 31, 2002
https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/bostonglobe/docview/405440892/53FE640BE471423APQ/9?accountid=9675
Boston Globe - A Trial For What? By Adrian Walker, April 1 2002
Boston Globe - A Path To Tragedy They Were Fixtures In Downtown Worcester, But Often Barely Noticed. That Changed After Their Arrest In The Deadly Warehouse Fire, by Joanna Weiss, Dec 19, 1999