Pittsfield Firefighters Rescue Woman From Burning Home

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A woman was saved from the second floor of a structure fire on Marlboro Drive on Monday evening. 
 
Two search teams had to work through a hoarding situation inside the single-family home at 1 Marlboro after the blaze was called in at about 6:45 p.m. 
 
The woman was found by the Tower 1 team at the top of the stairs about 15 minutes after the first unit arrived on scene. She was taken to Berkshire Medical Center by County Ambulance. 
 
Neighbors first reported smoke coming from the house with fire alarms sounding. Engine 6 confirmed smoke coming from the house and were met with serious hoarding conditions making access inside the house difficult. Engine 2 was requested to respond as well and eight off-duty firefighters were called in to man an engine and ladder truck at headquarters to cover the city. 
 
Multiple companies worked to overcome the hoarding condition behind the entry door to get inside and locate a spreading fire in the kitchen on the first floor. At this time, neighbors informed firefighters there was a woman still inside the house and that she usually stays on the second floor. T1 crew worked to gain access the second story from the front while Engine 3 went to a rear second-floor window. Both companies were tasked with a "Vent Enter Search" tactic that focuses on getting directly to the victim, which can be extremely dangerous with active fire on the floor below. 
 
E6 located and began extinguishing the majority of the fire in the kitchen while T1 made entry under extreme smoke conditions. Minutes later they located the woman and worked to get her out a rear window to the E3 team. 
 
Once water supply had been established, primary and secondary searches were conducted of all floors of the home and the fire was completely extinguished. 
 
The woman was the only occupant found in the home.
 
There is no update on the victim's condition and the fire is being investigated by both police and fire investigators. There have been no reports of fire personnel injuries.

Tags: structure fire,   

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Soldier On 5K Sunday in Pittsfield

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Soldier On and the Berkshire Running Foundation will host the inaugural Soldier On 5K Walk/Run Sunday, Nov. 10 at the First Street Common in Pittsfield at 9 a.m.
 
This event will help support the mission at Soldier On. Soldier On is a private nonprofit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness. Since 1994, the organization has been providing homeless veterans with transitional housing and supportive services.
 
In 2010, Soldier On opened the first Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, a permanent housing cooperative that provides formerly homeless veterans with safe, sustainable, affordable housing – transitioning them from homelessness to homeownership. This housing model will be replicated nationally as Soldier On continues to change the end of the story for homeless veterans throughout the country.
 
 “Soldier On is excited to collaborate with Berkshire Running Foundation, as they host the first annual Veterans Day 5K run/walk this weekend,” Soldier On President and CEO Bruce Buckley said. “The event will support the many at-risk veterans that Soldier On serves. These events not only provide financial support for our veterans, but it creates a larger community of support that lasts far beyond the day of the 5K.”
 
Registration for the event can be done online until Friday, at 5PM by logging onto https://www.zippy-reg.com/online_reg/index.php?e=2049 and all the event details can be found on the www.berkshirerun.org website. Walkers and runners will receive a long sleeve technical running shirt and post race breakfast sandwiches provided by Biggin’s Diggins.
 
Bib pick up and in store registration will be at Berkshire Running Center on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help with this event, please contact Shiobbean Lemme at director@berkshirerun.org.
 
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