N. Adams Blaze Forces Residents From Homes
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| The house at 278 Ashland St.View Slide Show |
The fire was reported shortly before 1 p.m.; it was contained and extinguished in less than an hour.
The house, a duplex at the corner of Ashland and Hoosac street owned by Michael C. Bloom, a city councilor, suffered significant smoke and water damage. The windows on the attic dormers were busted open revealing a charred interior. Sopping wet insulation was scattered on the ground and on the porch roof.
Firefighters were forced to open up a back section of the slate roof to battle the blaze and hoses snaked through the building that once housed a college fraternity.
The cause of the blaze was unknown although it was suggested it could have been electrical. Fire Director Stephen Meranti could not be immediately reached and a state fire marshal was expected to visit the scene.
No one was injured in the fire but one resident was at home, said Marie Harpin, area director of Northern Berkshire Community Action. The woman fled the apartment without proper shoes; Red Cross vouchers had been provided for her and her three roommates to get clothing.
Doris Tompson and Theresa Tompson, sisters, were living in one half the building with their boyfriends, Paul Sanford and Jesse Sanford, brothers. Harpin said they were staying with the mens' father, William Sanford, in Stephentown, N.Y.
The other tenant, Kim Guyer, was being put up at the Holiday Inn. It was unknown when, or if, the residents could return to their homes.
Ashland and Hoosac streets were closed off for nearly two hours. City police and the North Adams Ambulance Service assisted at the scene.
