PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters rescued an individual from the basement of a burning Hubbard Avenue home shortly after midnight on Wednesday.
The individual, described as the daughter, was taken to Berkshire Medical Center and airlifted to Massachusetts General in Boston with life-threatening injuries. Her current status is not known.
A firefighter was also taken to BMC with lacerations to the knee incurred during the basement search. He was treated, receiving eight stitches, and released.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
According to the report by Deputy Chief Neil Myers, B Company responded to a double alarm structure fire at 25 Hubbard Ave. at approximately 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Arriving companies confirmed a working fire in the basement.
Three family members escaped but reported that their daughter was still inside and trapped in the basement. Firefighters conducted an aggressive interior search for her. Myers said a search was done of the first and second floors but the Engine 2 crew, "after an aggressive search under extreme conditions, found the seat of the fire and began extinguishment, but couldn't locate the victim."
The E3 and E5 crews at the top of the basement stairs "located the victim in an adjacent first-floor bathroom." She was still breathing and taken outside where County Ambulance emergency medical technicians were standing by.
Damage to the house is estimated at $50,000, mostly from major heat, smoke and fire in the basement. The Red Cross was assisting the family in finding shelter.
Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Dalton, and Lenox Fire Departments provided mutual aid.
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Letter: Board Balance Needed on Dalton Public Safety Advisory Committee
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
I share Dave Martindale's concerns about appointing individuals with actual or perceived conflicts of interest to the newly formed Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee leadership. Several committee members either represent departments that would occupy and directly benefit from the proposed facility or have personal connections to those individuals, raising concerns about the committee's ability to impartially balance a best-in-class facility against a cost-conscious solution.
While their perspectives are valuable, the committee would benefit from a more balanced membership that includes independent residents focused on affordability, long-term planning, and the town's broader financial obligations.
I support the town's decision to explore a combined public safety facility. However, the police station needs assessment should be revisited before the town advances a specific plan. The assessment projects a 32 percent increase in total call volume and a 68 percent increase in staffing by 2045. Those projections are unrealistic based on historical call volume, crime statistics trends and the town's financial outlook — particularly when future budget constraints may require staffing reductions.
The town has already invested considerable time and money pursuing a standalone police station after previously rejecting a combined facility. Now that a joint facility is again under consideration, residents deserve a transparent process based on realistic projections and a cost-conscious evaluation of the town's actual needs.
The town manager and Select Board should consider adding neutral community members to the committee and designating the police chief and interim fire chief as non-voting advisers. They should also revise the needs assessment using supportable staffing, call volume, and population assumptions. A public safety facility is a significant long-term investment, and the town should ensure that the final proposal balances public safety needs with fiscal responsibility.
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