Williamstown Cumberland Farms to Be Rebuilt
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Cumberland Farms convenience store will be rebuilt, likely better than before, said a company spokeswoman on Wednesday."I can assure you this Cumberland Farms is going to rebuilt as soon as possible," said Cumberland Farms spokeswoman Christen Graham on Wednesday. She said the time line was about four to six months.
The cause of the fire was reportedly electrical. Graham said the company was trying to place as many of the employees affected at other stores in the area. Ten people were employed the store, one of two 24-hour Cumberland Farms in North Berkshire. The second is on Route 2 in North Adams.
A new Cumberland Farms store model was unveiled last week in Farmington, Conn., she said, "we're expecting now that this will be the new store look you'll be getting."
The Connecticut store was designed by Moseley Group of Franklin, which was hired last year to "reimagine" the 71-year-old convenience chain. It focuses on Cumberland Farms' New England heritage for the look, expands its fresh breakfast, sandwich and coffee offerings and modernizes both the interior and exterior design with more natural colors.
Three other Massachusetts stores are in line for the remodel and a second in Connecticut. The new design and expanded food service are expected to be rolled out over the next 18 to 24 months, according to Moseley Group.
Fire-Damaged Cumberland Farms Closed 'Indefinitely'
Posted Monday, March 16, 5:24 p.m.
 Photos by Tammy Daniels
 Above, a burned and melted potato chip rack lies outside the Cumberland Farms on Main Street. Left, burnt insulation from the roof is piled in a waste container. |
On Monday, piles of pink insulation seared a crispy black filled the waste containers off to the side of the convenience store at 446 Main St. A large blue roll-off container filled with debris was parked in front of the building; plywood covered the broken entryway and the surviving plate-glass windows were smeared with smoke.
According to Fire Chief Craig Pedercini, the blaze began just before 3 a.m. when the store clerk glanced toward the back and "noticed a rack of potato chips was on fire."
The clerk and a customer he was waiting on fled the building unharmed. The clerk grabbed a cordless phone before fleeing and called 911 from outside.
When firefighters arrived, the building smoke was billowing from the vents and soffits. In what Pedercini described as a "coordinated attack," firefighters vented the roof and entered the smoke-filled store from the front.
The fire was quickly extinguished but the store suffered smoke and water damage. The state fire marshal was at the scene on Sunday and the Clarksburg and Pownal, Vt., fire departments also provided assistance. The cause of the blaze, which apparently started in the roof, has not yet been determined.
 .jpg) A patched hole in the roof where firefighters vented the blaze. |
According to police reports, Alyssa K. Mazzacco, 23, of Melrose Street was eastbound on Main Street at high rate of speed at about 3:30 a.m. when she barely avoided a police car with its emergency lights on that was blocking the street. Police were detouring traffic over Adams Road while firefighters were battling the blaze.
Police said Mazzacco continued east on Main Street, nearly striking the first officer who tried to flag her down, passed the fire equipment parked in the road, and forced a second officer trying to stop her to leap to safety.
Officers took off in pursuit and Mazzacco stopped farther down the street. She was arrested and charged with operating under the influence, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, failure to obey an officer conducting traffic control, marked lanes violation and speeding.
The Cumberland Farms, which was open 24 hours a day, was the only one in Williamstown. Two Cumberland Farms operate in North Adams, one on Ashland Street and one on the Mohawk Trail.
