Update: Sheffield Fire Chief David J. Ullrich, Sheffield Police Chief Eric R. Munson III, and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said the cause of the Jan. 13, 2021 fatal fire at 1715 Hewins Street in Sheffield was accidental.
Investigators determined that a failure of the chimney and wood burning furnace caused the fire that took the lives of two residents. The Berkshire District Attorney's Office has identified the victims as 75-year-old James Boltrom and 66-year-old Dorene Boltrom.
"On behalf of our firefighters and the town of Sheffield, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the victims," Chief Ullrich said. "We're all neighbors in this small town."
The fire in the log cabin style home started inside the chimney and spread to nearby combustibles. Investigators were able to find several areas where smoke and heat breached the chimney and piping system from the furnace and entered the home. There was a significant amount of wood and kindling next to the wood-burning furnace in the basement.
"Sadly, there were no signs that this home had working smoke alarms," Ullrich said. "Smoke alarms provide the early warning needed when you may have less than three minutes to wake up and escape."
Members of the Sheffield Fire and Police Departments and State Police assigned to both the Office of the State Fire Marshal and to the Office of the Berkshire District Attorney jointly investigated the fire. Assistance was received from other State Police Units and the Department of Fire Services' Code Compliance Unit.
SHEFFIELD, Mass. — The State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office and the State Fire Marshal's Office are jointly investigating a structure fire in Sheffield that killed two people.
Wednesday morning around 5:49 a.m, multiple neighbors called 911 and reported a structure fire at 1715 Hewins St. Multiple agencies responded minutes later to find the home fully engulfed in flames.
Caanan, Conn., Sheffield, Great Barrington, Egremont, and New Marlboro Fire Departments knocked down and extinguished the blaze.
After gaining access to the home, first responders discovered the remains of two adults inside.
The State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, Sheffield Police, and the State Fire Marshal's Office are leading the investigation. While the fire remains under investigation, preliminary evidence does not indicate that the fire is suspicious in nature.
Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington, Sheffield Police Chief Eric Munson, and State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey all responded to the scene. Southern Berkshire Ambulance and the Berkshire County Sherriff's Office also provided assistance on scene.
The State Medical Examiner's Office took custody of the remains to perform autopsies and positively identify the victims.
The Massachusetts State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit, Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and troopers from the State Police Lee Barracks are assisting in the active investigation.
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PITTSFIELD, Mass.—State leadership recognized the collaborative spirit that drives Berkshire County to address hard-hitting issues with a multi-faceted approach.
On Thursday, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus visited Pittsfield Housing Authority (PHA) and Berkshire Community Action Council's central office.
His overarching observation? The collaborative spirit that surrounds nonprofit providers, state, federal, and local government.
"It's not about turf, it's not about fiefdom, it's about who you're trying to serve and the difference you're trying to make with your targeted population," he said, adding that there is still a lot of work to do and they will need the state's help with funding and technical assistance.
PHA owns and administers public housing for over 200 families and more than 400 individual tenants. Augustus walked through Columbia Arms, which houses elders and disabled community members through income-based rental apartments.
Earlier this year, Tina Danzy was hired as the executive director. During a private meeting, she and other PHA representatives discussed the city's aging housing stock, CARES Act funding increases, and community coordinators' positive impact.
Augustus explained that both the housing authority and state are enthused about community coordinators, which track issues and assist with developing programs and events.
West Dews ran for 137 yards, Landon Corcoran made big plays down the stretch and the Wahconah defense made the biggest stop of the night to stymie a comeback drive in the closing minutes of a 22-18 win over rival Hoosac Valley on Friday night.
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Pignatelli said housing insecurity and shortages are paramount in Berkshire County and encouraged communities to develop shovel-ready plans because "we're not going to hand out money from concepts or ideas, we're going to fund projects."
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At just after 10:30 on Tuesday evening, with 97 percent of the votes counted, the Associated Press called the Democratic primary for Davis, a member of the Great Barrington Select Board.
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There are a variety of events this weekend, including the annual arts and crafts show in Stockbridge, Riverfest, a community day at Jacob's Pillow, an agricultural fair and more.
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