City Firefighters Injured In Wesleyan Street Blaze

By Susan Bush
10:36AM / Monday, June 25, 2007

City firefighters Stefan Lamarre and David Boucher manned a fire watch this morning at 17 Wesleyan Street. [Photo by Sue Bush]

North Adams - Two city firefighters were injured early this morning during the latest in a string of fires that kept the city's fire department in action.

Fire Under Investigation

Lt. Joseph Beverly and acting Lt. Patrick Bradley were injured while battling a blaze at a 17 Wesleyan St. single family home owned by Robert Farriter.

Beverly and Bradley were treated and released from North Adams Regional Hospital. Beverly was injured while battling the blaze when he fell on a set of second-floor exterior stairs. A rescue team of about four firefighters and one North Adams Ambulance Services EMT performed a rescue to remove Beverly from harm's way. Bradley reported feeling chest pains and difficulty breathing at the scene, according to Fire Director Stephen Meranti.

This view shows smoke, fire, and water damage at a third floor level of a burned Wesleyan Sreet structure. [Photo by Sue Bush]

The fire was reported by a neighbor at 1:47 a.m., said Meranti, who noted that the neighbor reported seeing smoke and flames coming from the building. Farriter was outside the residence when firefighters arrived on the scene. Flames were evident on the second and third floor and a second alarm that summoned all off-duty city firefighters was sounded, Meranti said.

A call for mutual aid assistance brought Clarksburg Volunteer Fire Department firefighters and one engine to the fire scene while a second engine was put on standby status. The Adams Volunteer Fire Department was called and brought an air supply truck to the scene so that firefighter breathing tanks could be filled with air.

Meranti said the flames burned between layers of roofing material and created a difficult fire to control and extinguish. A fire watch team made up of firefighters Stefan Lamarre and David Boucher remained at the scene this morning and the duo extinguished flames that ignited in an interior area at about 8:45 a.m..

Firefighters reported sustaining numerous electrical shocks attributed to some wires that were inside the structure, said Meranti. No firefighters were seriously injured because of the shocks. The structure sustained significant fire, water, and smoke damage.

The fire is under investigation and no cause had been identified as of this morning.

"The guys took a wicked beating with this fire and they did a great job," Meranti said.

North Adams Fire Department acting Lt.matthew LaBonte and firefighter Michael Goodson replace breathing apparatus used during an early morning blaze. The fire left two firefighters injured. [Photo by Sue Bush]

Four Fire Calls Within One Hour

On Saturday evening, firefighters responded to four fire calls within one hour.

At 9:14 p.m., firefighters were called to a Mohawk Forest address after a caller reported an unusual odor. At 9:18 p.m., a report of a possible explosion in the Houghton Street/Bryant Street area brought a full response to 365 Houghton St.. A basement fire had ignited and the blaze's progress was likely hindered considerably when the heat from flames caused a water pipe to burst, Meranti said. Two youths, Anthony Aylwin, who lived at the residence, and Mariah Reynolds were injured when they jumped from a porch to escape smoke caused by the blaze. Both were treated and released from North Adams Regional Hospital, Meranti said. A dog and a hamster were rescued from the building and Meranti said firefighters were able to revive a pet cat that was found in respiratory distress. A bird died during the fire. The building is owned by Robert Pedercini and was rented to Alywin's mother Andrea Peters. The building was condemned, Meranti said.

At 9:32 p.m., firefighters were called to the vicinity of the X-tra Mart store on Ashland Street for a report of a fully-involved hibachi fire. The fire was out when firefighters arrived there, Meranti said.

And at 9:51 p.m., firefighters received a call about a Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts campus police cruiser engulfed in flames. The campus police officer who was driving the vehicle driver told firefighters that he was driving when flames suddenly erupted from the engine area. The driver was uninjured and the vehicle was totally destroyed by the fire, Meranti said.

Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 413-663-3384 ext. 29.