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This wasn’t a cause for celebration.
Massachusetts firefighters were left scrambling this weekend when an inadvertent fireworks display erupted over a massive, propane-fueled blaze that destroyed two suburban homes and damaged a third.
Crews in Spencer, Mass., were already battling arctic 20-degree temperatures, dangerously icy conditions and a brutal inferno that exploded on East Avenue at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, CBS News said.
But the mammoth blaze — which was fed by propane tanks stored in the basement of one of the homes destroyed — wasn’t the only problem.
At one point, the flames reached an assortment of fireworks stored in the home — sending a grandiose spectacle leaping in all directions across the skies of the tiny town about a half-hour west of Worcester.
Video taken by a neighbor and published by CBS showed the fireworks streaming skyward, then bursting as shocked onlookers yelled in surprise.
“The main house, we didn’t even do anything with initially,” Spencer Fire Chief Robert Parsons told WCVB in Massachusetts. “It was well-involved when we pulled up.”
The home was empty when the fire started, officials said.
“Very quickly, this home had collapsed upon itself,” Parsons said. “This was an old home. It had a fire here about 30 years ago, so there was an old section and a new section to the home. We believe it started in the old section.”
Later on, the local fire department said in a Facebook post that “two of our families from town lost everything tonight and a third had damage to their home.”
“It’s devastating before Christmas,” said Justin Peck, who lived in the second home. “It just feels like everything’s falling apart.”
Two firefighters even fell through the ice of a nearby pond as they tried to pull water from its depths, since there are no fire hydrants in the area, officials said.
Despite the catastrophic property damage, no one was hurt by the flames, the icy conditions or the impromptu Independence Day display.
Local authorities and the state fire marshal are still trying to nail down what caused the blaze.
Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, and this year it falls on Nov. 27, one of the latest dates it can possibly be.
The holiday is a time for friends, families and communities across the United States to come together to give thanks, enjoy a meal together and, for many, to take a break from their everyday lives and work.
Americans should anticipate that most businesses and public services will not operate or be open due to the holiday.
Here’s a list of what is open and what is closed in Massachusetts for Thanksgiving day 2025.
Federal Courts: Closed
State Courts: Closed
Federal Offices: Closed
State Offices: Closed
Municipal Offices: Closed
Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV): Closed
Public Libraries: Closed
The New York Stock Exchange and the Dow Jones: Closed
Banks: Most banks will be closed, but most ATMs will remain open.
Liquor Stores: Closed
Cannabis Dispensaries: Massachusetts regulators don’t identify specific holidays for when cannabis dispensaries must close, according to the Cannabis Control Commission. It’s up to respective dispensaries to choose whether or not to be open or closed, so check with your local dispensary. However, most will likely be closed.
Retail Stores: Most retail locations will be closed, with some operating on reduced or amended hours. Check with your local retailer.
Aldi: Closed
Auburn Mall: Closed
Big Y: Closed
Costco: Closed
CVS: Open, hours vary
Hampshire Mall: Closed
Holyoke Mall: Closed, but department store, restaurant, and entertainment venue hours may vary.
Market Basket: Closed
Natick Mall: Closed
Price Rite: Closed
Safeway: Open, hours vary
Star Market: Closed
Stop & Shop: Closed
Target: Closed
Trader Joe’s: Closed
Walgreens: Closed, but 24-hour stores remain open for essential pharmacy services
Walmart: Closed
Wegmans: Open, check with your local store on hours
Whole Foods: Open with modified hours, check with your local store
U.S. Post Offices (USPS): Closed
FedEx: Closed
UPS: Closed
Berkshire Regional Transit Authority: No service
Brockton Area Transit: No service
Cape Ann Transportation Authority: No service
Franklin Regional Transit Authority: No service
Lowell Regional Transit Authority: No service
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA): The MBTA will have regular subway service. There will be weekend commuter rail service. There will be no ferry service. Other transit routes that typically do not run on weekends will not be in service.
Merrimack Valley Transit: No service
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority: No service
Montachusett Regional Transit Authority: Closed
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority: No service
Southeastern Regional Transit Authority: No fixed route service, but demand response service available
Worcester Regional Transit Authority: No service
Local News
A member of the Massachusetts State Police Mounted Unit, Jay, a Percheron horse, died on Nov. 19.
Jay, 12-and-a-half years old, passed away from cancer complications, State Police announced on Facebook.
In March 2023, Jay joined the Mounted Unit at 10 years old from CNY Event Ranch in Oswego, New York, the announcement says.
“He immediately became one of our A-Team horses which meant he was a truly reliable ‘go to’ horse for our Unit members and was always head of the pack with his superior size [18 hands tall] and temperament,” State Police wrote.
Jay patrolled across the state, competed in Mounted Unit events in Kentucky, trained in Washington, D.C., and worked Patriots games outside of Gillette Stadium.
“Jay was always a main attraction wherever he went,” State Police continued. “His noble stature drew adults and kids to his side. He loved the attention and knew the happiness he brought to others.”
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Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday signed a $2.31 billion spending bill to settle the books at MassHealth and steer funding to former Steward Health Care hospitals and the program that covers some care costs for uninsured and underinsured patients.
The Legislature shipped the spending package to Healey’s desk last Wednesday, which was the last day of formal sessions for the year. Spokesperson Karissa Hand told the News Service Tuesday afternoon that Healey signed the closeout.
The package allocates $1.67 billion for MassHealth, $374 million for Steward hospital payments, $10 million in hosting costs tied to next year’s World Cup games, $18.3 million for student financial aid and $10 million for “operational and technical enhancements” at the Department of Transitional Assistance.
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup next year, local organizers say Massachusetts has yet to keep its end of the deal to help fund certain services.
The law closing the books on fiscal 2025 also increases an assessment on hospital to generate more money for the Health Safety Net program and authorizes a $50 million transfer into the account from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund.
Lawmakers opted to withhold the majority of appropriations sought by sheriffs to settle county budgets, as they wait on the inspector general to file an interim report by the end of February.
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