The city of Waterbury is trying to prevent a potential fire from spreading in an abandoned building.
The city is spending at least $60,000 to block about 60 windows of the former watch factory on Cherry Street.
The abandoned, vacant building takes up a whole city block. Contractors were seen placing cement blocks along windows to prevent a fire from spreading.
Fire Chief David Martin said unlike wood that flames would burn through, the concrete should prevent fire from spreading to any nearby buildings on the property, which are not abandoned.
“This building, in particular, is unique and different from the others because it has three occupied structures physically connected to it,” said Martin.
Chief Martin said the abandoned building is connected to a business, a non-profit office and an apartment building, the Enterprise Apartments, which has about 130 units.
The fire chief says the city is trying to prevent a similar incident to what happened on New Year's Eve 2016 -- when flame embers carried by the wind spread quickly through an old factory building on South Main Street.
