Plan to burn shopping center halted by asbestos

Thursday, February 16, 2012

AMHERST – The Fire Department has abandoned plans to do a controlled burn at what is left of the Amherst Plaza on Route 101A because some abestos has been found in glue holding down linoleum and holding up some sheetrock.

Fire Chief Mark Boynton said the plaza, which was mostly destroyed by fire in 2008, is still being used for training and that some small fires would be set for that purpose. But the plan announced last month, to take down the remaining buildings in a controlled burn, had to be abandoned because of the asbestos.

Some buildings were left standing after the 2008 fire that brought in firefighters from 10 companies in surrounding towns.

The entire mall was closed to the public for safety reasons, and has remained closed since the fire.

Last Saturday, firefighters from Amherst and Merrimack were there training.