image description
Firefighters pull back from the blaze on Friday evening; they will resume on Saturday morning.
image description
A forest fire on East Mountain in Williamstown as seen from Henderson Road late Friday evening.

Three Dozen Firefighters Take on Williamstown Forest Fire

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini, left, talks strategy with North Adams Fire Chief Brent Lefebvre and Lanesborough Fire Chief Charlie Durfee, right.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Fire personnel from seven towns plus North Adams battled a forest fire Friday on East Mountain.
 
About three dozen personnel from the fire departments of Williamstown, Clarksburg, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, North Adams and Pownal, Vt., plus the Adams Forest Wardens responded to the blaze that first was reported at 5:44 p.m.
 
The fire was located more than a mile from the nearest paved road, forcing firefighters to take to four-wheelers to get to the site. Initial reports indicated the fire was at least partially on property owned by the East Mountain Sportsman's Club.
 
By 8:25, as darkness enveloped the mountainside, the first responders were making their way down the mountain to one of two command centers that were set up to coordinate the operation.
 
"I don't want to get anybody hurt," Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini said, explaining the order to withdraw from the woods.
 
"Working in the woods at night with fires, that alone is dangerous. You can trip, you can fall, a tree can fall on you. There are so many different things that can happen up there, and you're not going to be able to see well enough to coordinate what you want to do.
 
"We get to a certain point at night, and we pull out. Depending on the weather, it could slow down on us a little at night, and then in the morning, it will pick up when it starts getting warmer."
 
Pedercini was coordinating operations from the main command center with North Adams Fire Chief Brent Lefebvre and Lanesborough Fire Chief Charlie Durfee. Williamstown Forest Warden Rick Daniels was in the woods with the crews fighting the blaze.
 
The effort was aided by images from drone flights provided by the Williamstown Police Department and North Adams Fire Department photographer Nick Mantello.
 
When the firefighters returned to base camp after dark, they were greeted by pizzas donated by The Log by Ramunto's in Williamstown.
 
Pedercini said firefighters will return to the woods on Saturday, likely with help from other area departments.
 
In 2015, it took firefighters from numerous departments three days to bring a brush fire in Clarksburg State Forest under control. That blaze burned 300 acres.

Tags: forest fire,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

St. Stan's Students Spread Holiday Cheer at Williamstown Commons

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Students from St. Stanislaus Kostka School  in Adams brought the holiday spirit to Williamstown Commons on Thursday, delivering handmade Christmas cards and leading residents in a community caroling session.
 
"It honestly means the world to us because it means the world to them," said nursing home Administrator Alex Fox on Thursday morning. "This made their days. This could have even made their weeks. It could have made their Christmas, seeing the children and interacting with the community."
 
Teacher Kate Mendonca said this is the first year her class has visited the facility, noting that the initiative was driven entirely by the students.
 
"This came from the kids. They said they wanted to create something and give back," Mendonca said. "We want our students involved in the community instead of just reading from a religion book."
 
Preparation for the event began in early December, with students crafting bells to accompany their singing. The handmade cards were completed last week.
 
"It's important for them to know that it's not just about them during Christmas," Mendonca said. "It's about everyone, for sure. I hope that they know they really helped a lot of people today and hopefully it brought joy to the residents here."
View Full Story

More Williamstown Stories