Lowell bakery gutted by fire after deep-fryer 'exploded'

LOWELL, Mass. — The Delicious Paisas Bakery on Bridge Street was destroyed Thursday morning. 

The flames began around 4:20 a.m. when a worker went in to open up the shop.

"He turned on the deep fryer...the whole thing just exploded," said Hector Ibarra, whose brother has owned the bakery for 10 years. "He didn't have any chance to put it out or anything."

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Ibarra said the worker first tried to get the flames out with a fire extinguisher, but couldn't get to it fast enough. The worker ultimately ran across the street to the police station.

"It was just too hot and too rough," Ibarra said.

The fire chief said the building was engulfed in flames when crews showed up. Crews were able to knock the flames down quickly, but had to watch for hotspots over the next couple of hours.

"There are no words...no word," Ibarra said, describing how his brother "started from scratch" when he opened the bakery. "I guess we'll just have to rebuild."

Cox Media Group