Newton Hotel Evacuated After Pipe Bursts

click to expand

BOSTON (CBS) - A big problem in the Boston area is only getting worse. Bursting pipes are causing a major mess for many businesses.

In Newton, the Crowne Plaza Hotel over the Mass. Pike was evacuated Monday night due to a major water main break.

Firefighters say the building was evacuated because there is four feet of water in the basement, and they were concerned about an electrical fire. The power was cut to the building at about 10:30 p.m.

The MBTA sent buses to bring the 250 hotel guests to another location.

Guests at Newton Crowne Plaza hotel wait to be evacuated (Image from Kate Merrill/WBZ-TV)

In Boston, firefighters have responded to more than 330 pipe burst calls in two days.

"We are seeing it all over the city," said Boston Fire spokesman Steve MacDonald. "There isn't a part of the city not affected."

In Downtown Crossing, a CVS is closed indefinitely. Water came through the ceiling and is all over the floors and merchandise.

Just around the corner, a nail salon is also closed. A sign is on the front door, explains it was a burst pipe.

Broken pipes forced the closure of a nail salon in Downtown Crossing (WBZ-TV)

And the AMC movie theater down the street had to be evacuated, people forced outside when their pipes burst.

The problem is the extreme cold, combined with a fast warm up.

MacDonald says, "Once it starts thawing and all the pipes thaw out that's when we see the problems."

The water department tried to get ahead of the problem by shutting off the water to a Brownstone without heat. They hope this will prevent another disaster.

A broken pipe closed a Boston CVS (WBZ-TV)

But at the Stanley Elementary School in Waltham, they are too late.

Waltham Fire Deputy Andrew Mullin says, "When we arrived water was coming out the front door right into the street rushing into the stairwell into the cafeteria."

It's a major mess to now clean up. At least students are out for the week.

But as we thaw out, officials worry just how much worse it will get.

MacDonald says, "The water expands when it freezes and causes cracks then it thaws, the cracks are exposed and water goes everywhere."

Homeowners are encouraged to run their water to help melt the ice, apply heat like a hair dryer or towels soaked in hot water around the pipe and open cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around plumbing.