Update: Westborough fire causes $1 million in damage; no injuries

WESTBOROUGH – A Westborough resident is looking for a new home after a fire gutted his South Street apartment early Sunday (June 2).

Thomas Cardinale said he and his girlfriend were awakened by a smoke detector shortly before 2 a.m. They tried to go down the stairs, but the smoke was too thick. They managed to get onto the roof of the old Décor building, where Westborough Fire Department personnel lowered them safely.

“It was so scary,” he said.

The apartment, located behind the ThaiMinal restaurant, suffered heavy damage, as did a van parked below.

Although he said he could salvage most of his clothes, Cardinale said he was going to have a hard time finding affordable housing.

“Anything could help right now,” said Cardinale, who has lived in the apartment for about four years.

The restaurant's owners were checking the damage as early as Sunday morning. Firefighters had to remove the two front windows while putting out the fire.

The fire also caused some damage to the space that had just been vacated by Décor.

Tom Orlando, one of the building's owners, said he received a text message about the fire. He said there was smoke damage to the interior, as well as damage to the roof.

“We did pretty well,” he said. “That’s quite a wake-up call for a Sunday morning.”

Firefighters from Southborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Grafton, Upton and Framingham assisted each other at the scene, while Hopedale firefighters covered Westborough stations.

The fire was brought under control around 2:40 a.m.

Firefighters estimated the damage at around $1 million.

The fire remains under investigation by the Westborough Fire Department and the District 14 Fire Investigation Unit.