UPDATE: Two-Alarm Fire Destroys Barn, Damages Home On Livingston Street

Antique cars, family heirlooms destroyed in blaze.

A two-alarm destroyed a 19th century barn at 1005 Livingston St. on Wednesday, taking with it two antique cars and nearly a century of family history. The fire broke out just after 2 p.m. and Tewksbury firefighters arrived just in the nick of time to save an adjacent duplex. "When we got here the barn was fully involved and the heat had startd to melt the siding on the house," said Fire Chief Mike Hazel. Firefighters were able to get water on the side of the house quickly and limit the damage. "That's a great save. That's a quick jump to a building lost right there." Both the barn and the duplex are owned by developer Arnie Martel, Jr., who lives in a second duplex across the Street. According to his wife, Sandy, it was Martel who first …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Friday, July 8

Bits of knowledge to make you the smartest person braving the Bourne Bridge today.

Here are five pieces of information to make you the smartest person, picking change from out of the seat cushions of your car for the I-95 tolls. 1. Today's Weather Forecast: According to the NWS, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. East wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Tonight, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. 2. This Date in History: July 8, 1950 -- Gen. Douglas MacArthur is named Korean Commander. …

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Pan Am Exec: Company Is Working to Clear Old Railroad Ties

Huge stack that caught fire this week was awaiting removal.

A spokesman for Pam Am Railways of North Billerica says the railroad ties that caught fire earlier this week had been stacked by the tracks behind 820 Livingston St. temporarily. Cynthia Scarano, a vice president with the company and a resident of Tewksbury, said the ties had been stacked after having been replaced with new ties. "There was work being done and (older) ties were being removed," said Scarano. She explained that the coampany's procedure for disposing of old tied involves loading them onto a train and transporting them to the company's facility in Maine, where they are recycled. Railroad ties, much like utility poles, must be disposed of under specific EPA guidelines because they are soaked in creosote, a recognized carcinogen…

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