The primary point of attack for the fire was through a garage door at the front of the structure.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Two dozen firefighters from three different departments worked through the night to extinguish a blaze in a garage and shop on Henderson Road.
No injuries were associated with the blaze at 551 Henderson Road, which was called in by owner Philip Larabee at 10:07 p.m., Fire Chief Craig Pedercini reported on Friday morning.
No one was in the structure when the fire started, Pedercini said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Firefighters from Williamstown, Clarksburg and Pownal, Vt., worked on the fire until about 4 a.m., Pedercini said.
Fourteen call volunteer firefighters from Williamstown were on scene along with seven or eight firefighters from Pownal. Clarksburg sent a tanker to the scene and provided coverage at the Williamstown fire station until 2 a.m.
Williamstown Police and Northern Berkshire Emergency Medical Services also were on scene in a support role, but Pedercini reported that no first responders were injured.
"One of the hazards I was mostly concerned about was ice," Pedercini said. "The ground was wet and frozen. I was more concerned someone might rush too much and slip on the ice and get hurt.
"I cautioned everybody, and they did a great job."
Another concern was the presence of propane, acetylene and oxygen tanks inside the building, he said.
"We pulled some stuff out of there because it was easily accessible and got it out of the way," Pedercini said.
He credited the first firefighters on the scene with helping to prevent the blaze from getting out of hand
"One of my first officers arrived on scene and saw flames as they came up Brook Road," Pedercini said. "It was burning on the back side of the building. That was the initial area.
"The first two guys in did a great job knocking it down. They used a 2 1/2-inch line, which is a lot of water. They got it knocked down so it was manageable with a lot less water."
Among the responders from Williamstown were five Williams College students, including several who joined the service this year, Pedercini said.
"One of them was a little more seasoned," he said. "He's been around a few years. He was one of the first ones on the initial attack with one of my officers.
"The other ones learned a lot. I couldn't get them into any fire, but they were able to be of use grabbing tools, bringing things back and forth, and we had them on a handline."
Thursday's fire also marked the first time Williamstown's recently acquired tanker truck was used to fight a blaze. Pedercini said his officers estimated a little less than 5,000 gallons of water was used in the operation.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Teacher of the Month: Karen DuCharme
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
Karen DuCharme's integrated life skills class is designed to prepare all students for the world post high school.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Mount Greylock Regional School life skills special education teacher Karen DuCharme has been selected as the April Teacher of the Month.
The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here.
She has been a teacher for 24 years, starting at Pittsfield High School, and has been at Mount Greylock Regional School for the last 11 years.
"I always say that I didn't really choose special education; special education chose me," she said
DuCharme initially wanted to be a physical therapist, but the universe had other plans for her. While attending Pittsfield High School, she did not want to have a study hall, so she opted to take an Introduction to Special Needs class.
From there, she knew that a career as a special education teacher was the right choice for her.
"Even when I was a student, I gravitated towards other students with different needs and tried to help them and wanted to help them," she said.
Karen DuCharme has been a teacher for 24 years, starting at Pittsfield High School, and has been at Mount Greylock Regional School for the last 11 years.
click for more
The outage forced the closure of Sweetwood's commercial kitchen and forced residents to use alternatives to the showers in their apartments.
click for more
On Tuesday afternoon, the Prudential Committee ratified a contract to make Jeffrey Dias the successor to Chief Craig Pedercini, who retired from the post on Monday.
click for more
Some members of the community, including a member of the Select Board, say the district is choosing a course of action that is at odds with the environmental principles that the town espouses.
click for more