Brush fires break out in the hilltowns Fires in Russell and Blandford were hard to reach

Updated: Thursday, 30 Apr 2009, 6:06 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 30 Apr 2009, 5:28 PM EDT

Adam Strzempko
BLANDFORD, Mass. (WWLP) - Our stretch of warm dry weather has increased our fire danger. Brush fires in some of the hilltowns have been burning for days and have posed quite a challenge for fire fighters to reach.

In the last couple of days some large brush fires have broken out in the towns of Russell and Blandford.

The location and terrain made it difficult for firefighters to get to the fires. "Well it's just the terrain, the hilliness of the terrain the rockiness. It's remote getting people in and out. It's tough because we're shuffling water. This morning we had a bulldozer cut some of the road so we could get to where we are now. It just wears you out when your carrying chainsaws, rakes, water on your back. It wears you out quick," said Otis Fire Captain Chris Bouchard.

Firefighters from 8 to 10 different communities and three different counties helped to fight both brush fires.

The firefighters also got some help from the air. “Yes the air drops were used considerably yesterday. We have such steep terrain the Blackhawk helicopters out of the Army National Guard out of Westfield were used. They have a bucket that has 660 gallons of water and they're able to do a contained drop and without their help we wouldn't have 95 percent containment today,” said Russell Fire Chief Michael Morrisey.

The brush fire in Russell scorched around 65 acres of land and the brush fire in Blandford burned around 20 acres of land.

The fires were difficult to get to but were fortunately not a threat to any homes. Both fires have been put out.

The brush fire in Russell did destroy two electric line towers that have to be replaced.

There were also brush fires reported in Westhampton and East Brookfield Thursday afternoon.

Brush fire battle continues in Russell, MA

Brush fire battle
continues in Russell
Crews have battled flames for more
than 24 hours
Updated: Wednesday, 29 Apr 2009, 10:31 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 29 Apr 2009, 10:30 PM EDT

Barry Kriger
RUSSELL, Mass. (WWLP) - The fire fight in Russell will extend into a third day where a 60 acre brush fire's about 70 percent contained Wednesday night.

Russell Fire Chief Michael Morrissey told 22News the blaze scorched 60 acres at the end of South Quarter Road near Cobble Mountain Reservoir, which provides Springfield's drinking water.

Chief Morrissey said a National Guard Helicopter out of Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield was scooping up water from Russell Pond, and making water drops.

At least 30 firefighters battled that 60 acre blaze since Tuesday night. Firefighters plan to go back in first thing Thursday morning.

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM

$$

CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ041>043-053-054-060-061-083-084-
VTZ013>015-302300-
/O.UPG.KALY.FW.A.0004.090430T1800Z-090501T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KALY.FW.W.0002.090430T1700Z-090430T2300Z/
NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE-
SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-NORTHERN SARATOGA-NORTHERN WARREN-
NORTHERN WASHINGTON-WESTERN RENSSELAER-EASTERN RENSSELAER-
WESTERN COLUMBIA-EASTERN COLUMBIA-SOUTHEAST WARREN-
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON-BENNINGTON-WESTERN WINDHAM-EASTERN WINDHAM-
416 AM EDT THU APR 30 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM
EDT THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EDT
THIS EVENING FOR THE LAKE GEORGE SARATOGA REGION...THE UPPER
HUDSON VALLEY...CENTRAL TACONICS...SOUTHERN VERMONT...THE
BERKSHIRES...AND LITCHFIELD HILLS. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.

AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER...ALONG WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES DROPPING TO UNDER 30 PERCENT...AND SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST
WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH...GUSTING TO 25 TO 30 MPH THIS AFTERNOON...WILL
COMBINE TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS INTO THIS
EARLY THIS EVENING.

THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY THIS EVENING...IN
ADDITION TO THE EXPECTATION FOR RAIN SHOWERS...REDUCING THE
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

MCLA displays the dangers of dorm fires

Click to watch When Candles Go Bad Video

By Jennifer Huberdeau
Posted: 04/28/2009 02:41:30 AM EDT

NORTH ADAMS -- The potential danger of a single, unattended lit candle is the subject of a new video being produced by the MCLA Department of Public Safety and the North Adams Fire Department.

"Most dorm fires are started by a candle or by a careless smoker," Joseph Charron, MCLA director of public safety, said Monday morning as firefighters set up a "mock dorm room" at the college’s athletic complex. "Just last year we had a fire in a townhouse [dorm room] that was started by a candle. I think fires on campuses remain a concern nationwide. That’s the reason we’re developing a fire safety video and education plan."

The video and Monday’s fire simulation were funded through an Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant awarded to the college by the United States Department of Homeland Security. "The room we’re using here today in the simulation is obviously a dorm room, but it could be any bedroom in the city, especially that of a teenager," North Adams Public Safety Commissioner E. John Morocco said. "We had a fire just up the road from here, on West Shaft Road that was accidentally started by a candle. We’re hoping to use this video for our fire safety programs as well."

For the simulation, the college’s Facilities Department built an 8-foot by 10-foot room. The room, which sported three walls made from sheetrock and a tile floor, was filled with a desk, dresser, and a dorm bed that had a metal

frame and fire-resistant mattress. Posters were hung on the walls and a cloth tapestry hung from the ceiling. A flat-screen computer monitor along with a nylon scarf, papers and a plastic St. Patrick’s Day party favor hat sat on the desk with a lit pillar candle.
"We tried to make this as realistic as possible," Charron said. "One of the reasons for the tapestry hanging from the ceiling is that it’s something we see in the dorm rooms all of the time. The students either hang them on the walls or from the ceiling, often covering their smoke detectors."

After several false starts, firefighters were able to ignite the papers and a nylon scarf on the desk with the heat generated by the pillar candle. "We’re trying to push it," Fire Director Stephen Meranti said. "In reality, we’re simulating a room where a candle was left lit and unattended while a student went to class. I don’t think any fire like this would start immediately, like we want it to in front on the candles." Within minutes of starting, the fire crept along the top of the student desk and began devouring the computer monitor, which began melting and sending out thick plumes of toxic smoke.

"The smoke will actually kill people before the fire gets to them," Meranti said. "Almost everything is made with plastic and those fumes are toxic."

As thick black smoke poured out of the open side of the room, flames began licking the walls and curtains, which immediately began disintegrating as the fire jumped to the ceiling tapestry and walls. Within seconds, the flame resistant mattress was smoldering and eventually caught fire.

Meranti said a real room, with four solid walls, would burn much faster because both the smoke and heat would be trapped.

"The fire would have escalated much faster and the furniture would have ignited much quicker," he said. "A smoke detector would alert us to a fire like this one early, we’d be able to contain it to just the contents of the room." Charron said he thinks "anyone would be surprised to see how fast a fire can spread."

"It would have been even worse if we had paint on the walls or some kind of paneling or wood finish," he said.

Meranti said he hopes the video, which was filmed by Peter Gentile, director of the college’s television studio, and his senior intern, Coady Ward, will not only be used at the college but also as part of his department’s fire and smoke detector safety programs.

To reach Jennifer Huberdeau, e-mail jhuberdeau@thetranscript.com.

Local organizations braced for H1N1

By Jennifer Huberdeau
Posted: 04/28/2009 02:41:30 AM EDT


North Adams Transcript

NORTH ADAMS -- As the number of laboratory confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1NI) virus infections continue to rise in the United States and around the world, local hospitals and health care organizations are taking steps to keep the public aware of how to avoid infection and what to do in case of an outbreak

"We’ve been planning this for at least three years now," said Kathy Arabia, vice president of guest services for Northern Berkshire Healthcare, who has been leading the organization’s emergency and pandemic preparedness initiatives.

"We’re in constant contact with the state Department of Public Health and immediately placed links to the Center Disease Control Web site’s swine flu pages on www.nbhealthcare.org. We believe it’s very important for people to have accurate information."

On Monday, the CDC had 40 confirmed cases of swine flu in five states, including seven cases in California, two in Kansas, one in Ohio, two in Texas and 28 in New York City.

An outbreak of the avian flu a few years ago killed 250 people worldwide and pushed emergency and health care organizations to begin planning for a pandemic outbreak, which reports estimated would affect about 2 million Baystaters, with about 80,000 people in need of hospital care.

Officials at North Adams Regional Hospital and Berkshire Medical Center said contingency plans are in place should a pandemic breakout. Each


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hospital has identified a source to locate about 50 extra beds in "influenza specialty care units."
"We have identified our Hillcrest campus as our emergency site," Michael Leary, BMC spokesman, said Monday. "We have been in meetings all day concerning a possible pandemic, which the county has been planning for over the last three years. We also have information for the public on our Web site."

North Adams Regional Hospital would locate its alternate care facility at the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish Center.

"If it got to the point where we would need to limit the strain on the emergency department, we would set up triage sites in the community to keep from over crowding the hospital," Arabia said.

"Part of the whole process is a group of professionals who form the Emergency Planning Committee which will coordinate services and provide oversight for any programs put into place. The plans that will be put into place really depend on what news we hear from the CDC."

Potential plans also include the closure of schools, should infections be detected among school-age children, as has happened in New York City, which had 28 confirmed cases of swine flu Monday afternoon.

Dr. Paul Donovan, director of the NARH’s emergency department, said that preventing the spread of the swine flu is dependent on good hygiene practices and detection.

"The best thing a person can do is wash their hands often," he said.

"Unlike the avian flu, which required a person come into contact with an infected bird, this flu is spread person-to-person through water droplets. It has the potential to spread."

While the 40 confirmed cases in the United States all involved the infected person having recently visited Mexico or coming into contact with someone who had recently visited Mexico, Donovan said the flu would not be contained if certain precautions are not taken.

"This flu strain is spread by droplets from the respiratory tract and becomes airborne when someone sneezes or coughs," he said. "People should cough into their sleeves or the crook of their elbows, not their hands. They should also cover their sneezes. Hand washing is very important." He said anyone who is sick with flu symptoms -- cough, sore throat, fever, runny nose -- should stay home from work or work-at-home and avoid public places as much as possible.

"The good thing is that this flu strain is treatable with several anti-viral medications, which shorten the course of the infection," Donovan said.

He said the virus can be detected by a simple swab of the nasal passage for a viral culture.

"We can detect if a person has influenza A or B," he said. "If a person has influenza A, we’d do another culture and send it to the state to be tested for swine flu." While the results for the swine flu culture wouldn’t be available from the state for 24 to 48 hours, Donovan said the patient would be treated with anti-viral medications as a precaution and told to stay away from public places.

"It’s a matter of taking common sense measures and using good hygiene to keep this virus from spreading," he said.

As of Monday afternoon, the CDC was recommending hand washing and hygiene tips and had gone as far as suggesting the wearing of surgical-grade masks for people living in high-population areas that had confirmed cases of the flu.

"It makes sense from an epidemiological point of view," Donovan said of the masks.

For more information:

Northern Berkshire Healthcare: www.nbhealth.org

Berkshire Medical Center: www.berkshirehealthsystems.org

Center for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING

Issued by The National Weather Service
Albany, NY
4:11 pm EDT, Mon., Apr. 27, 2009

... FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR THE MID HUDSON VALLEY... THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN TACONICS... THE BERKSHIRES AND LITCHFIELD COUNTY.

SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ON TUESDAY... REACHING SPEEDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION... THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO DROP TO JUST BELOW 30 PERCENT DURING THE AFTERNOON... AND MEASURABLE RAIN HAS NOT OCCURRED IN THIS AREA SINCE LAST WEDNESDAY. THIS COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS... LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND LACK OF RECENT RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.

&&

Florida Fire sparks group effort

By Meghan Foley
Posted: 04/27/2009 02:10:54 AM EDT


North Adams Transcript

FLORIDA -- Firefighters and forest wardens from towns across Northern Berkshire and Southern Vermont battled a brush fire Saturday afternoon off Central Shaft Road.

The fire was reported around noon and burned for about three hours torching multiple acres in the area of Busby Trail in Savoy Mountain State Forest.

"We probably had about 70 people up in the woods knocking down 10 acres, which is a big fire," Florida Fire Chief Mike Bedini said Sunday.

He said amazingly there were no injuries.

Fire and forest warden departments from Florida, Savoy, Williamstown, Clarksburg, Lanesborough, Cheshire and Pownal, Vt. were called throughout the afternoon to help extinguish the fire, and the state sent four people from the Department of Conservation and Recreation to assist, Bedini said.

He said a county coordinator was on the scene, as well as about a half dozen town residents who volunteered their all-terrain vehicles to get firefighters into the woods.

In addition, North Adams Ambulance Service provided water and medical personnel.

"If we didn’t have the manpower we did yesterday (Saturday), the fire would probably still be burning into today," Bedini said.

He said he and Mike Gleason, captain of the Florida Volunteer Fire Department, were listening to the radio around noon when they heard a report that someone at one of the state’s fire towers spotted a fire in the area of Busby Trail.


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Bedini said he then called Berkshire Sheriff’s Control and told them he and Gleason would go up to the area to investigate. Bedini and Gleason then met a person from the Department of Conservation and Recreation near the area, and went up into the woods where they found two acres of land were already burning, Bedini said.

He said the fire was spreading east and west, and at that point he not only dispatched his own fire department, but began calling for mutual aid from every town in the area that had all-terrain vehicles.

"ATVs and manpower were what we were looking for," Bedini said.

He said the fire was sparked by a high-tension line that was leaning against a tree.

Besides using all-terrain vehicles to get teams of firefighters into the woods, firefighters used Indian tanks (water-carrying backpacks with a hose attached) to carry water into the woods, and made use of rakes, shovels, chainsaws and portable pumps to fight the fire. Bedini said they also pumped water from Beaver Pond, which was nearby.

While temperatures on Saturday were between 80 and 90 degrees, the wind was calm most of the day.

"If we had a lot higher winds up here, it would have probably been worse,’ Bedini said.

He said the brush fire on Saturday was the fourth the town has had within a week and a half.

"We just lost all our snow up here two weeks ago, and that is why they’re starting," she said.

He said a fire early last week was also caused by a high tension line. Two other fires were the result of people burning brush and the wind picking up carrying the embers.

Besides the woods being dry, the December 2008 ice storm toppled hundreds of trees, which are now drying out.

"Every thing is down in the woods, and once a spark goes, it catches," Bedini said.

He said the town has had brush fires bigger than the one on Saturday including one about 15 to 20 years ago that burned for two days on the mountain side between Florida and Rowe.

The Florida Volunteer Fire Department, as well as those across the state, will be on guard on the next few days for brush fires as temperatures continue to hang around 80 degrees and conditions remain mostly dry.

"This year really has been so dry, and I don’t think it (brush fire season) is over yet because the woods are so dry," Bedini said.

Besides the brush fire, the Florida Volunteer Fire Department responded to a motorcycle accident on Route 2 in Savoy Saturday afternoon and a call involving a kayak overturned in the Deerfield River.

State police said four people from Ludlow were traveling west near the Florida and Savoy line when the lead motorcycle got into an accident. A separate accident involving the other three motorcycles happened at the same time, according to police. Police said the four riders sustained minor injuries and were taken to North Adams Regional Hospital.

Additional information wasn’t available Sunday about the overturned kayak.

To reach Meghan Foley, e-mail mfoley@thetranscript.com.

Early morning blaze causes $150K in damages

By Jennifer Huberdeau
Posted: 04/23/2009 12:12:37 AM EDT




NORTH ADAMS -- A pile of charred sports trophies and swimming medals that once adorned the bedroom of Drury High School athlete David Button are all that’s left of his room after an early morning fire ripped through a portion of his family’s Foucher Avenue home on Wednesday.

The blaze destroyed the contents of his room and heavily damaged the rest of the house.

"We’re still investigating the cause of the fire, but there’s about $150,000 worth of damage at least," Fire Director Stephen Meranti said. "It’s going to take months and massive renovations to bring this house back. What wasn’t damaged by the fire was damaged by smoke and water. They are only going to be able to salvage a few of their possessions. The son’s room was completely destroyed."

No one was hurt in the fire, thanks to an alert neighbor, he said.

Transcript City Editor Margaret Button and her son, David, 18, a senior and star athlete at Drury, were asleep when the fire broke out. Button’s husband, Guy, had headed out to work at 5:30 a.m., about 40 minutes prior to the fire, Meranti said.

"Their neighbor, Dick Belini, saw the fire on the back porch and woke Maggy and her son up and got them out of the building," he said. "When he called the fire in, at 6:10 a.m., it was on the back porch. As we were en route, we received multiple calls that the fire had moved inside the house."

He said the fire had


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quickly spread into the house, making its way into the living room through a sliding glass door and into David Button’s bedroom through a window on the side of the house.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire and extinguish it quickly once on the scene, he said.

"We’re very lucky the neighbor saw the fire," Meranti said. "The fire spread through the window right onto David’s bed. Had he been asleep Š I’d hate to think what would have happened."

The blackened mattress sat outside the house in the back yard, next to a fire-damaged snowmobile, charred remnants of video games and other melted and blackened items, as an inspector from the state fire marshal’s office walked through debris on the back porch Wednesday afternoon.

The Buttons, who were at the house speaking to the fire inspector, declined to comment.

Meranti said he had not yet interviewed Belini but assumed the neighbor had been getting ready for work when he saw the fire.

"We were able to knock out the fire pretty quickly," Meranti said. "It’s pretty devastating. They’ve lost a majority of their personal possessions."

He said the Red Cross was called to the scene, but the family is temporarily staying with friends.

To reach Jennifer Huberdeau, e-mail jhuberdeau@thetranscript.com.

Fire at a Great Barrington landmark

WWLP 22 News
Updated: Monday, 20 Apr 2009, 11:49 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 20 Apr 2009, 5:24 PM EDT
Click to View the Video
Matt Feato
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. (WWLP) - A popular Great Barrington eatery won't be serving pizza until the owners figure out what caused a blaze to break out there.



The fire broke out this afternoon at the Baba Louie's Pizzeria and started above the smoke detection and sprinkler system. It also gave dozens of residents and business owners quite the scare as nearby shops were forced to close early.

Great Barrington Fire chief Harry Jennings told 22news that because the alarm system wasn't tripped, the fire came as a surprise. Jennings said the pizza shop will not re-open until the problem is found and fixed. He says Baba Louie's is now working with an architect to speed that process along.

Firefighters save multi-family home in Pittsfield

By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Updated: 04/20/2009 05:36:47 AM EDT


Monday, April 20
PITTSFIELD — Numerous 9-1-1 phone calls, quick work by firefighters and the city's new 100-foot aerial truck all contributed to saving a multi-family home in Pittsfield over the weekend — but the fire still left four families temporarily homeless, according to fire officials.
Deputy Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski said "the multiple calls" from citizens reporting the fire around 7:20 p.m. on Saturday indicated a serious situation at 68-70 Boylston St. Upon arrival, firefighters found flames showing at the rear of the building with smoke billowing from the attic of the two-and-half story wood frame.

Czerwinski said the firefighters knocking down the fast-moving blaze and containing it within an hour probably saved the building.

"Structurally, the building appears sound," said Czerwinski.

Nevertheless, officials reported heavy fire damage to the northwest corner of the building where the fire began. In addition, flames damaged the attic, while smoke and water damaged the second floor apartments.

Czerwinski said what caused the fire remains under investigation.

While the tenants home at the time escaped injury, the unknown total number of residents at 68-70 Boylston will need to live elsewhere for now, according to fire officials.

Saturday's fire was also the Pittsfield debut of the city's new 100 foot ladder/platform truck. The $750,000 vehicle, which replaced a 75-foot,


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35-year old ladder truck, allows firefighters to gain better access to fires from up above.
Czerwinski said the new fire truck enabled firefighters to reach the attic and stop the blaze from spreading.

"It's a lot safer truck, having the platform to work from," noted Czerwinski. "It's better than leaning into a ladder."

To reach Dick Lindsay: rlindsay@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 496-6233.

Dalton fire blamed on cigarette

By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Updated: 04/18/2009 07:26:53 AM EDT


Saturday, April 18
DALTON — An early morning fire roared through a four-unit apartment house at 80 Daly Ave. on Friday, displacing the four families who lived there, according to Dalton Assistant Fire Chief Chris Cachet.
The building's 10 residents all got out safely, but the building was severely damaged. Cachet said 31 firefighters from four Berkshire communities were called in to fight the blaze, which was reported to authorities around 2:15 a.m., and took two hours to bring under control.

Firefighters remained on the scene until 8:30 a.m.

"It's a total loss," said Tracy Broderick of Hinsdale, who, with her husband Richard, has owned the building for 18 years. The Brodericks, who lived in one of the apartments when they first met, were at the scene Friday morning observing the damage.

"It's just rubble pretty much," said Tracy Broderick, while standing in the backyard, which was littered with shingles.

Richard Broderick said the fire began from a lit cigarette that was left on the backstairs. Cachet said firefighters have ruled out arson, but that the official cause of the blaze had yet to be determined.

"Everything is up in the air right now," he said.

He estimated the total amount of fire damage at $250,000. Part of the roof is gone.

Cachet said the fire began at the back of the house, then went up the side into the eaves where it reached the attic. The blaze was so hot, it


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caused the siding to buckle on a neighboring home at 86 High St.
"It was pretty intense," Cachet said.

Firefighters were able to extinguish part of the blaze from the inside, but were unable to enter the attic because it had been sealed off from the rest of the house for safety reasons, Cachet said. They left the house and continued fighting the blaze from the outside.

Having difficulty dousing the flames in the attic from the ground, authorities decided to use the Pittsfield Fire Department's new 100-foot aerial ladder truck. The ladder truck was brought to the scene at 6 a.m., said Pittsfield Deputy Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski.

The truck enabled firefighters to shoot water down on the flames from above after the attic collapsed into the second floor, Czerwinski said.

Pittsfield's new $750,000 ladder truck, the cost of which was covered mostly by a $675,000 federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security, officially went into service this month. According to Cachet, Friday's fire was the first time the truck had been put to use.

"It made its maiden voyage in Dalton," he said.

Units from the Dalton, Hinsdale, Pittsfield, and Windsor fire departments responded to the blaze. The American Red Cross was called in to find alternative living arrangements for the displaced families. The Brodericks have fire insurance.

"It's sad," said a neighbor on Daly Avenue, who declined to be identified. "You have four families, and they don't have anything."

To reach Tony Dobrowolski: tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 496-6224

'Intense' fire contained

'Intense' fire contained
Controlled blaze spreads to forest north of Center Pond; firefighters battle flames for 10 hours
By Benning W. De La Mater, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Updated: 04/19/2009 03:09:09 AM EDT


Sunday, April 19
BECKET — A controlled brush fire got out of hand Friday afternoon and sparked a forest fire in a swath of woods north of Center Pond, forcing more than 100 firefighters from 10 towns to battle the blaze for 10 hours.
Becket Fire Chief John Hall said a landowner was clearing and burning wood on his Benton Hill Road property at about 4 p.m. Friday when the fire spread.

The man, whom Hall would not name, received a burning permit from the town.

"I blame it on the dryness," Hall said. "We haven't had much rain at all. The wind came up and just took it."

When the Becket Fire Department arrived on the scene, the fire had already consumed a large area north of Becket Center and Route 8.

Firefighters from Chester, Otis, Blandford, Lee, Hinsdale, Middlefield, Alford, Lanesborough and Adams were called in to assist in the fight.

With water packs strapped to their backs, firefighters rode ATVs into the woods and battled the blaze with shovels and brooms. Hall said the rough forest terrain and high winds made it a tough task.

"The fire got pretty intense in there," he said. "The flames were almost reaching the tops of the trees."

Firefighters were pulled from the woods at 10 p.m. Friday due to darkness but were back in at 6 a.m. Saturday. Department of Conservation and Recreation fire wardens also were on scene yesterday.

Hall surveyed the area from the air Saturday with the


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help of a state police helicopter. The fire was extinguished by 10 a.m. and left nearly 10 acres of forested land scorched.
Due to the dry conditions, Hall has suspended burning in town.

The incident is being investigated. Though the fire never threatened any homes, Hall said if the flames hadn't been contained it could have gotten ugly.

"Those firefighters all deserve a lot of credit," Hall said. "If it had spread, it could have been a catastrophe."

To reach Benning W. De La Mater: (413) 496-6243; bdelamater@berkshireeagle.com.

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning
Issued by NWS Albany, NY

000
WWUS81 KALY 170740
RFWALY

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
340 AM EDT FRI APR 17 2009

CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-
082>084-VTZ013>015-180000-
/O.UPG.KALY.FW.A.0002.090417T1700Z-090418T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KALY.FW.W.0001.090417T1700Z-090418T0000Z/
NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE-
SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-NORTHERN HERKIMER-SOUTHERN HERKIMER-
SOUTHERN FULTON-MONTGOMERY-NORTHERN SARATOGA-NORTHERN WARREN-
NORTHERN WASHINGTON-SCHOHARIE-WESTERN SCHENECTADY-
EASTERN SCHENECTADY-SOUTHERN SARATOGA-WESTERN ALBANY-
EASTERN ALBANY-WESTERN RENSSELAER-EASTERN RENSSELAER-
WESTERN GREENE-EASTERN GREENE-WESTERN COLUMBIA-EASTERN COLUMBIA-
WESTERN ULSTER-EASTERN ULSTER-WESTERN DUTCHESS-EASTERN DUTCHESS-
NORTHERN FULTON-SOUTHEAST WARREN-SOUTHERN WASHINGTON-BENNINGTON-
WESTERN WINDHAM-EASTERN WINDHAM-
340 AM EDT FRI APR 17 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
EDT THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR ALL OF EASTERN NEW YORK EXCLUDING HAMILTON COUNTY AND
FOR ALL OF WESTERN NEW ENGLAND...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.

AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER...ALONG WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES DROPPING TO UNDER 20 PERCENT AND WEST TO NORTHWEST
WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH...GUSTING TO 30 TO 35 MPH THIS AFTERNOON INTO
THIS EVENING...WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE ONLY REASON
HAMILTON COUNTY WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RED FLAG WARNING WAS DUE
TO MUCH OF THE COUNTY STILL HAVING SNOW COVER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$

Firemen fight fire for 10 hours

By Trevor Jones, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Updated: 04/11/2009 09:26:40 AM EDT


Click photo to enlarge«1»Saturday, April 11
ALFORD — A massive house fire, visible from Great Barrington, took 10 hours and crews from 11 communities to extinguish Friday morning, leaving the structure beyond repair.
The Alford Fire Department received word at 6:30 p.m. Thursday of the fire at 26 East Road. By the time crews arrived, the two-story building was fully engulfed in flames and it wasn't fully extinguished until 4:30 Friday morning.

The property is a second home owned by John Littlechild, and no one was at the property when the fire started. It took firefighters from Alford, Great Barrington, Housatonic, Egremont, Sheffield, New Marlborough, Monterey, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, Richmond, and Hinsdale to put out the blaze.

Alford Fire Chief Stephen Berkel said the fire damage has left the house a total loss.

"It's very bad," said Berkel. "It's to the point now that I've deemed it unsafe, and they're going to have to knock the rest of it down."

The cause of the fire is unclear. The estate's caretaker — the last person on the premises before the fire apparently broke out — had left two hours before it was reported.

"In the manner of two hours, something went wrong but we really don't know yet. We're guessing at some stuff, but we aren't totally sure of the cause of the fire yet," said Berkel.

The fire took so long to put, according to Berkel, because the entire building was already ablaze when



crews arrived, and water tankers had to be used to make the mile-long trip up the driveway to the house.
Also, the fire had to be fought primarily from the outside, as firefighters dealt with hidden panels, odd-shaped walls and limited access to the second floor and basement due to portions of the first floor having already caved in, Berkel said.

He also said the house is also very close to the tree line so crews had to ensure the fire was completely out before they left the scene.

Clarksburg Elementary School student was this year's Berkshire County winner of the annual Arson Watch Reward Program Poster Contest.

North Adams firefighter David Simon with Arson Watch poster winner Alex Boulger of Clarksburg and his teacher, Alana Gauthier.



NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A Clarksburg Elementary School student was this year's Berkshire County winner of the annual Arson Watch Reward Program Poster Contest.

Alex Boulger received a $200 prize for his poster and will move on to the state finals. Alex is a member of Alana Gauthier's class.

Posters from middle school students in North Adams, Adams, Williamstown, Clarksburg, Sheffield and Florida were judged on March 9 at the North Adams Fire Department.

Emily Kaegi from the Mount Greylock Regional Middle School was the second-place county winner and will receive a $100 prize. Emily is a student in Lisa Mendel's class.

The first-place county winners, their families and teachers are invited to attend an awards luncheon to be held at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel on May 28, when the three statewide winners will be announced. Fire departments from each of the top three winning towns will receive grants in the amount of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000, respectively.

The judges for the poster contest were Allyn Basel of the Adams Co-Operative Bank with Jonathan Secor, director of special programs and Jess Conzo, program coordinator of the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center at MCLA's Gallery 51. The winners were chosen from a field of more than 150 entries.

Posters which received honorable mention were Breana Gladu of Adams Memorial Middle School, Anica Pond of Undermountain Elementary in Sheffield, Tori Green of Gabriel Abbott Memorial in Florida and Cori Ghidotti of Conti Middle School in North Adams.

The annual Arson Watch Reward Program Poster Contest is sponsored by the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. On behalf of all property and casualty insurance companies of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (FAIR Plan) has sponsored the annual Statewide Arson Watch Reward Poster Contest for the past 25 years.

Contact Nancy Rodes at 617-723-3800 or 800-392-6108 for more information.