North Adams Fire Leaves Families Homeless
 |
He walked in to see flames.
"I heard something pop," said Reyes, still shaking from the experience as he stood at the corner of Secor Avenue and watched firefighters working to save his building. "It came right in through the window."
What caused the fire is unknown at this time, but it destroyed the apartment's back porch, worked its way into the roof and damaged the exterior of the building.
It also forced Reyes, who was alone at the time, Cala Pautsch and their 7-month-old son Jeremiah out of the home they'd moved into just this Saturday.
About five other people were also forced to leave the three-apartment building owned by Gordon Leete.
Fire Director Stephen Meranti said the blaze was reported as a structure fire at 3:42 p.m. and all off-duty firefighters were called in.
"It started at the back of 3 Secor and extended into the attic and the porch roof," said Meranti. The fire was quickly contained but it took awhile to ensure it hadn't spread into the walls or ceilings.
.jpg) Photos by Tammy Daniels
.jpg) North Adams firefighters look for hot spots on the porch roof at 3 Secor Ave. At right, the gutted porch. |
The fire gutted the open porch and heavily damaged its roof, which was "spongy" enough that firefighters tore it off. Meranti said the building was condemned for the moment because there was hole in the roof leaving it open to the elements. The utilities also were being turned off.
Fire Department Chaplain David Anderson was making arrangements for some of the families with Red Cross. A relative said Pautsch and Reyes did not have rental insurance.
Northbound traffic was routed onto Christopher Columbus Drive, through Western Gateway Heritage State Park and over the Hadley Overpass until Curran Highway could be shut down. The road was blocked for more than an hour.
Passers-by said the smoke could be seen billowing over the city; smoke still steamed from the eaves a half hour later.
A visiting relative of Pautsch's said he was coming back from Cumberland Farms on Ashland Street when he could see smoke and flames — and Reyes on the corner yelling that his house was on fire.
They ran back up the street and into the apartment to save the "most important thing," the flat-panel TV.
Pautsch arrived to find everyone on the sidewalk. "We have a baby," she said. "What are we going to do?"
