Cause of Fire at Eastern Co. Appears Accidental

The cause of a fire that broke out on Election Night (Tuesday) at the Eastern Co. at 112 Bridge St. appears to have been a radiator malfunction, Fire Chief Ken Hanks said.

"The exact cause is still under investigation but it does not appear to be suspicious," he said.

Firefighters received a call for a sprinkler alarm at 11:30 p.m. and when they arrived had to knock down the front door to get inside. Once inside, they found that the sprinkler system had contained a small fire to the front entrance near a radiator, Hanks said. Trying to get the spinkler system to shut off proved to be the most difficult part of the night.

Firefighters had to call the Connecticut Water Co. to shut off a valve and the spinkler system ran for about two hours, causing heavy water damage throughout the builiding, Hanks said. Fire damage was contained to a radiator and a corner of a wall, he said. Nobody was injured.

According to the company's website, the Eastern Co., founded in 1858, is a manufacturer of industrial hardware, security products and metal castings. It operates from locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and China.