Sweet Brook Farm Barn, Sugar House Destroyed in Fire

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — After a day spent battling downed wires and tree limbs as a result of Monday's high winds, emergency officials spent Monday evening battling a fire that broke out at Sweet Brook Farm.

The farm, located at 580 Oblong Road in South Williamstown, grows vegetables, produces maple syrup and breeds stock and fiber-quality alpacas. It is owned and operated by the Phelps family.

Firefighters from Williamstown, North Adams, Hancock, New Ashford and Pownal, Vt., responded to the fire, which broke out between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Clarksburg also sent a tanker. Stamford, Vt., covered the Williamstown station during the blaze.

No one was injured in the blaze, which totaled the farm's barn and sugar house. Officials on the scene were concerned that the high winds would blow the fire into the farm's residence, about 50 feet away from the barn, so they doused the home, successfully preventing it from igniting.

Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini reports that to his knowledge all the animals in the structure escaped. Sweet Brook Farm posted on its Facebook page that the animals are all OK, as well.