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A fire gutted home on High Street in Dalton on Monday afternoon.
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Dalton Fire Damages Home on High Street

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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UPDATED Oct. 12 at 8:56 p.m.—The Fire Marshal determined that the cause of the fire was "careless disposal of smoking materials." 
 
DALTON, Mass. — It took more than hour on Monday for firefighters to knock down a blaze that engulfed a large portion of a home at 177 High St.
 
A neighbor reported the fire in the two-story home around 4:30 p.m.
 
Interim Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski said firefighters arrived to find flames extending up the front of the house and into the eaves and the attic. An image posted on Facebook shows the porch section of the building fully involved.
 
One person was treated by the local emergency medical services for smoke inhalation but was not take to the hospital, said Czerwinski. No firefighters were injured.
 
The road from Field Street to Glennon Avenue was closed as firefighters battled the blaze.
 
The home is more than 100 years old and had a lot of void spaces that the blaze could travel, Czerwinski said.  
 
At the time of the interview, the department was waiting on scene for the State Fire Marshal investigator to help determine the cause and origin of the blaze. 
 
Responding to the fire were the Hinsdale and Pittsfield fire departments. Pittsfield provided a ladder truck. Cheshire Fire Department was standing by as a rapid intervention team. The Lanesborough Fire Department covered the town during the incident. 

Tags: structure fire,   

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Dalton Select Board Recommends Voting Against Article 1

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — After a heated discussion concerning sidewalk repair options during last week's Select Board meeting, the board voted to not support Article 1 on the annual town meeting warrant.
 
The article proposes amending the town's bylaws to mandate the use of concrete for all future sidewalks.
 
The decision narrowly passed 3-2, with board members Dan Esko, Robert Bishop and John Boyle voting not to recommend the article and Joseph Diver and Marc Strout for a recommendation. 
 
Board members in favor of not recommending the article cited reasons such as not wanting to limit the town's options when addressing sidewalks in disrepair, which has been a hot topic recently due to the number of sidewalks within the town that need to be addressed. 
 
Although Diver made the motion not to recommend the citizen's petition, he later changed his mind and voted against his motion, agreeing with Strout that the decision should lay in the hands of the residents. 
 
"I personally believe that it should be put in the hands of the residents and not for the five of us to make that decision and that's why I actually think this is a good petition to put up there. Let the residents make that decision," Strout said. 
 
The changing of the town bylaw is not the only article concerning sidewalks voters will vote on during the May 6 town meeting. 
 
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