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."
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MassDOT Warns of Toll-fee Smishing Scam
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation was alerted that a text message-based scam, also known as smishing, is fraudulently claiming to represent tolling agencies from across the country. The scammers are claiming to represent the tolling agency and requesting payment for unpaid tolls.
The targeted phone numbers seem to be chosen at random and are not uniquely associated with an account or usage of toll roads.
Customers who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from EZDriveMA or another toll agency should not click on the link.
EZDriveMA customers can verify a valid text notification in several ways:
The FBI says it has received more than 2,000 complaints related to toll smishing scams since early March and recommends individuals who receive fraudulent messages do the following:
1. File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov; be sure to include:
The phone number from where the text originated.
The website listed within the text
2. Check your account using the toll service's legitimate website.
3. Contact the toll service's customer service phone number.
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