Thursday Morning Fire Severely Damages Pittsfield Home

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters responded to a Von Nida Avenue structure fire Thursday morning that left one man with injuries.

The Pittsfield Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal are investigating the cause of the structure fire that "gutted" a West Side home and resulted in uninhabitable damage and a man being taken to Berkshire Medical Center.

The Fire Department responded to an alarm at 16 Von Nida Ave. at 5 a.m. and the fire took one hour to control.  According to the media report, when command arrived on the scene they saw heavy fire showing from the first and second floor of the home and immediately requested a second alarm and to bring all on-duty members and apparatus to the scene.

Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Noyes said that when Deputy Fire Chief Ron Clement arrived, the structure was "showing heavy, heavy fire and they needed to double up immediately."

According to Pittsfield property records, the structure was a single-family home built in 1920.

The Red Cross and Salvation Army were notified to assist the displaced occupants of the home.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.