Roche Bros. Fire Update: 300 Worked to Reopen Store
More than 300 workers helped remove ruined food and restock shelves after fire at Roche Bros. Friday morning. All the food except in the frozen units had to be discarded due to smoke damage.
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Roche Bros. grocery store reopened Saturday morning, thanks to 300 workers from nearby stores who restocked shelves and discarded products that were ruined by smoke in an early morning grease fire on Friday. All of the products in the entire store, except the food in the frozen units, had to be discarded, according to director of public health James White.
The Natick Board of Health determined that the seals to the frozen units were unbroken, protecting the items inside from the thick smoke that filled the store and traveled out into the parking lot. Canned goods will reportedly be reviewed by a salvage company.
More than 300 workers from Natick and nearby Roche Bros. stores pitched in to help, some giving up part of their vacations, said White, who added the store reopened much quicker than he originally anticipated.
A private company cleaned and sanitized the store before it reopened on Saturday morning, White said.
The fire, which began in the kitchen and could not be stopped by the sprinkler system, caused no significant structural damage.
Charlene Frary, Realtor with Realty Executives
5:04 pm on Monday, October 3, 2011
At a time when the Natick Service Council has a very needy pantry, it would be nice if the "salvage company" could review and approve donation of the canned goods to serve a community need.
Nancy Ballo
10:44 pm on Monday, October 3, 2011
I was thinking the same thing. They threw out all that food?? What about the canned things? They couldnt have donated them somewhere??
ANTONIO TESO
11:04 pm on Monday, October 3, 2011
So Agreed!!!!
Gayle
12:33 am on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Ya, why did the canned goods have to be thrown away?
Alissa Letkowski
12:04 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Hi everyone, thanks for your comments. We're looking into it and will let you know.
Alissa Letkowski
3:07 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Folks, thanks again for your comments. I've heard back from director of public health James White and here was his response:
"We understand the sentiment here and feel the same way. Unfortunately, when there’s a fire of this intensity with this amount smoke sometimes volatiles can become airborne and attach to the food containers. Salvage companies are approved to be able to make the proper assessment if product can be salvaged and
also have the proper facilities to decontaminate large amounts of product such as this. Once the product is deemed to safe, the companies usually sell them to seconds stores such as Building 19 that have special permits to retail salvaged product. It would be nice if it could be donated, that would be up to salvage companies because they assume ownership of the product once it’s removed. But they are in it for a profit so couldn’t answer for them. I would think if it was up to Roche Bros. they would try and make some arrangement because they are very community oriented. Don’t think it’s up to them."