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Firefighters remove the decorative steeple at Price Memorial AME Zion Church that was hit by lightning on Sunday night.

Lightning Strike Burns Pittsfield Church Steeple

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The lightning strike started a fire in the Linden Street church's steeple.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A lightning strike started a fire in the steeple at Price Memorial AME Zion Church on Sunday. 
 
Firefighters responded to the report of a chimney fire at the church about 7:49 p.m. and saw fire coming from the steeple. 
 
The Engine 3 crew searched for  interior access to the steeple and checked for fire extension. Engine 5 supplied water and used the "deck gun monitor." Also responding was Engine 1 and Engine 6, as the rapid intervention team. 
 
The fire was extinguished within 45 minutes. 
 
The church steeple was essentially an "ornamental" design and
not part of the church's main foundational support structure," said Deputy Chief Daniel Garner in his report. 
 
The top portion of the steeple sustained heavy fire damage. Firefighters removed the damaged portion of the steeple to ensure full extinguishment. Eyewitness reports verified the fire was caused was due to a lightning strike. At the time leading up to this incident the center of the city had experienced a localized microburst thunder and lightning storm.
 
Garner said due to the quick, hard work of fire personnel and a little divine intervention the fire never gained a foothold on the main part of the church. 
 
There were no fire or civilian injuries from this incident. Damage estimates not available at the time of this writing.
 
This was the second fire within a 12-hour period. There was a fire alarm activation at 9:15 a.m. at Patrick's Pub. Firefighters found some smoke and water on arrival and a small fire was found to have occurred in a corner of the kitchen near the rear exit. It was extinguished by a single sprinkler head located right above the fire origin. Firefighters ensured full extinguishment and secured the system water flow to limit further damage.
 
The fire was caused by spontaneous combustion of oil-soaked rags. Damage estimates are not available at this time. City Health Department and Fire Prevention are working with the owner to get the restaurant opened again.

Tags: lightning,   structure fire,   

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State Fire Marshal: Fall Back Safely

STOW, Mass.—With the end of daylight savings time coming on Nov. 3, Massachusetts fire officials issued a seasonal reminder to check smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and change the batteries when changing clocks.

"Working smoke and CO alarms are vital to your safety at home," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "As we 'fall back' this weekend, protect yourself and the people you care for by putting fresh alkaline batteries in alarms that use them and replacing alarms that are out of date."

Today's smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have the manufacturing date printed on the back of the device. Smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, and CO alarms should be replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions – usually 5, 7, or 10 years, depending on the model. Unless you have newer alarms with 10-year sealed batteries, this is also a good time to replace the alkaline batteries in all your alarms. And remember to test your smoke and CO alarms once a month to be sure they're working properly.

Heating Season Brings Carbon Monoxide Hazards

Foxborough Fire Chief Michael Kelleher, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, emphasized the importance of working carbon monoxide alarms as we enter the colder months.

"Carbon monoxide is a leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States, and heating equipment is the main source of carbon monoxide in the home," Chief Kelleher said. "We can't see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide. Working CO alarms are the only way to detect this invisible killer."

Replacement Alarms Should Have Sealed, Long-Life Batteries and a Hush Feature

Replacing your old single-station smoke alarm? Choose alarms that have sealed, long-life batteries and a hush feature. This makes it less likely that someone in the home will use the batteries for another device, forget to change them twice a year, or remove them when cooking causes smoke in the kitchen.

"Disabling a smoke alarm puts you, your loved ones, and everyone in the building at risk," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "Never remove batteries from a smoke alarm except when putting fresh ones in."

Alarms Should Be Listed by an Independent Lab

Massachusetts requires that all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek (ETL). Listed devices will have the laboratory's mark on the back. In recent years, fire officials have seen numerous smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that were purchased online and either have counterfeit marks or no mark at all.

"Smoke and CO alarms can be the difference between life and death, but only if they work properly." said Chief Kelleher. "When you purchase a new alarm, choose one from a well-known, national brand. We've seen many alarms that were purchased online and don't meet the safety requirements of our State Fire Code. If the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is."

Create & Practice a Home Escape Plan

"Changes to building construction and furnishings mean we have less time to escape a fire at home than ever before," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "You could have just three minutes to get out safely."

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