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Firefighters quickly doused a kitchen fire on Walker Street on Monday morning.

North Adams Fire Quickly Extinguishes Walker Street Blaze

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Fire Department quickly extinguished a kitchen fire on Walker Street on Monday morning and contained much of the damage to two rooms in the home. 
 
"It was a quick response, quick knockdown, and we are going to be out of here soon," Fire Chief Stephen Meranti said. "Unfortunately, the occupants are going to have to deal with the damage."
 
The call came in just before 9 a.m., and Meranti said police were first to arrive at 100 Walker St. and confirmed it was a structure fire. Lt. Brent Lefebvre was on scene soon after with Engine 1.
 
"We had smoke showing from the eaves all of the way around the building," Meranti said. "They had heavy smoke conditions in the building."
 
Meranti said he initially thought firefighters would have to vent the roof, but the fire was mostly contained o the kitchen so this was not necessary. There were no injuries.
 
"The occupants were out, and the firefighters rescued two dogs," he said.
 
Meranti said the fire seemed to have started in the kitchen around the stove, and he was waiting to talk to the occupants to get a better sense of the cause.
 
The kitchen and living room took the brunt of the damage. The rest of the home sustained smoke damage.
 
Meranti said because it was a confirmed structure fire all off-duty personnel were called. The oncoming shift was also called but was called off en route once the fire was contained.
 
Meranti said firefighters had access to a working hydrant, but the Clarksburg Fire Department tanker truck was called just in case.
 
Northern Berkshire EMS was also on scene.
 
Emergency vehicles left the scene around 10 a.m. with the fire largely extinguished before 9:30.
 
"That is the key. Early notification, a quick response, and a rapid interior attack," Meranti said. "They got on scene, stretched the line to the fire, and they did a good job."
 

Tags: structure fire,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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