State Fire Marshall: Space Heaters Need Space

BRIMFIELD—Brimfield Fire Chief Don Contois, State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, and Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said a fatal fire last week in Brimfield started accidentally with a space heater, prompting a reminder to use these appliances safely.

"Space heaters need space," said Chief Contois. "If you’re using one at home, keep anything that can burn at least three feet away on all sides and be sure to turn them off when you leave the room or go to sleep."

The Dec. 22 fire on 3rd Street claimed the life of an older adult. Its origin and cause were jointly investigated by the Brimfield Fire Department, the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and State Police assigned to the Hampden DA’s office. They were assisted by the Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit.

Investigators found numerous space heaters in the single-family lakeside home. The investigation determined that the fire began in the living room with a portable propane-fueled space heater.

"Portable space heaters caused more than a dozen fires in Massachusetts last winter, including one in Holliston that claimed a resident’s life," said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. "Remember that kerosene space heaters and portable propane space heaters are not permitted for residential use in Massachusetts. Electric space heaters should be plugged directly into a wall outlet, and they should have an automatic shut-off switch that disables the device if it tips over."

Investigators found no working smoke or carbon monoxide alarms at the scene. Both Chief Contois and State Fire Marshal Ostroskey emphasized the importance of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in every residence.

"Heating equipment is the second-leading cause of residential fires and the main source of carbon monoxide at home," they said. "Smoke and CO alarms are your family’s first line of defense, so be sure you have them on every level of your home and test them once a month to be sure they’re working properly."

Modern smoke and CO alarms have a manufacturing date printed on the back. Smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after five to seven years depending on the model. Alarms without a manufacturing date should be replaced right away. If your alarms take alkaline batteries and are still in their useful lifespan, change the batteries twice a year. If purchasing a new alarm, choose one with a sealed, long-life battery and a hush feature.

Finally, residents struggling to pay for heating bills or maintenance may be eligible for assistance through the Massachusetts home energy assistance program (LIHEAP). No matter what type of heating source you have, LIHEAP may be able to help you pay your winter heating bills or maintain your heating system so it runs more safely and efficiently. All Massachusetts residents are encouraged to explore eligibility for this free program and apply for assistance.

For more information on winter heating safety, visit www.mass.gov/keepwarmkeepsafe.

Community Meeting Addresses Prejudice in Pittsfield Schools

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:49PM / Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Johanna Lenski, a special education surrogate parent and advocate, says there's a 'deeply troubling' professional culture at Herberg that lets discriminatory actions and language slip by.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Around 60 community members gathered at Conte Community School on Monday night to discuss issues with prejudice in the district. 

The event was hosted by the Pittsfield Public Schools in partnership with the Berkshire NAACP and the Westside Legends. It began with breaking bread in the school's cafeteria, and caregivers then expressed fears about children's safety due to bullying, a lack of support for children who need it the most, and teachers using discriminatory and racist language. 

"One thing I've learned is that as we try to improve, things look really bad because we're being open about ways that we're trying to improve, and I think it's really important that we acknowledge that," interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said, reflecting on her work in several other districts before coming to PPS last summer.  

"It is very easy to stay at the surface and try to look really good, and it may look like others are better than us, when they're really just doing a better job of just kind of maintaining the status quo and sweeping things under the carpet."

Brett Random, the executive director of Berkshire County Head Start, wrote on her personal Facebook page that her daughter reported her math teacher, "used extremely offensive language including both a racial slur (n-word) and a homophobic slur (f-word) and then reportedly tried to push other students to repeat those words later in the day when students were questioning her on her behavior."

The school department confirmed that an eighth-grade teacher at the middle school was placed on leave.  

The Berkshire Eagle, which first reported on the incident, identified the teacher as Rebecca Nitsche, and the teacher told the paper over the phone, "All I can tell you is it's not how it appears." Nitsche told the paper she repeated the words a student used while reporting the incident to another teacher because officials needed to know it happened. 

Johanna Lenski, speaking as a special education surrogate parent and parent advocate, on Monday said there is a "deeply troubling" professional culture at Herberg that has allowed discriminatory, racist, non-inclusive, and ableist treatment of students.

She said a Black transgender student was called a "piss poor, punk, puke of a kid," and repeatedly and intentionally misgendered by one of the school's teachers, and then wrongfully accused of physically assaulting that teacher, which resulted in a 10-day suspension. 

Another Herberg student with disabilities said the same staff member disclosed to an entire classroom that they lived in a group home and were in state Department of Children and Families' custody. When the teacher was asked to come to an individualized education program meeting for that student, Lenski said he "spent approximately 20 minutes attacking this child's character and portraying her as a problem, rather than a student in need of services and protection and support."