Fallen ice may be cause of 3-alarm fire in Westford

A three-alarm fire in Westford Wednesday morning may have started when ice fell off the roof of an apartment building and severed a gas line, officials said.

A gas leak was reported at the building on Bandon Circle around 11:47 a.m., the Westford Fire Department said in a statement. Firefighters trudged through more than 30 inches of snow around the house to find that a gas meter at the rear of the building was leaking.

As firefighters examined the leak, the gas vapor ignited and fire spread up the rear of the building, the fire department said. The blaze triggered sprinklers in the building, which helped firefighters contain the flames.

There were no injuries, but four families were displaced, the fire department said.

While the fire is still under investigation by the Westford Fire Department and the state fire marshal’s office, it did not seem suspicious, officials said.

A fallen ice dam may have caused the initial gas leak, the fire department said, but it was unclear what caused the gas to ignite.