NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The East Mountain wildland fire, which is the largest in the state so far this year, is at 60 percent containment.
The fire started Friday night off Henderson Road in Williamstown and moved into Clarksburg State Forest. More than 120 firefighters from 19 different communities have been on scene through the weekend working to control the fire that has burned about 800 acres.
"We are really hoping to knock this thing down to a point where we can spend some time walking the perimeter and making sure everything is ok," Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini, the incident commander, said early Monday afternoon.
Pedercini was joined by State Fire Warden David Celino and North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard at the North Adams Water Department to give an update on the smoky blaze that's burned for four days.
"It is a difficult labor-intensive effort to contain this fire and it is the 70s, right now, so it's warm," Pedercini said.
Pedercini said one firefighter was hospitalized over the weekend but is doing well and that no structures are currently in danger.
"The atmospheric conditions so far have been helpful and there are no major threats to any of the nearby populations," he said.
The National Guard and State Police are conducting air operations including water drops to help contain the mountainside fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Massachusetts Avenue between Protection and Ashton Avenue is still closed to through traffic and hikers are asked to avoid the Appalachian Trail for the time being.
State Fire Warden David Celino said dry leaves and other materials are acting as surface fuels that strengthen the fire. He said firefighters are clearing this material around the fire so that it falls back on itself and extinguishes.
"We remove the surface fuel, that is what is fueling the fire," he said. "We move an 18- to 24-inch path. Once we do that the fire moves back into itself."
He said this year there have been 591 fires throughout the state but this is the largest one this year and probably the largest one in 12 years. Although a surprising number, he said this was not uncommon.
"It wasn't long ago if you go back a couple of generations, where it was common to see a 2,000-acre fire here in the state," he said.
Pedercini said he expects the 60 percent containment number to change as the day goes on, however, did not want to venture a guess what this shift would be or when it would be.
"We have to look and see what we have and we will come up with a number," he said. "I do expect it to change … we are going to change for the good."
Pedercini said the fire will likely continue to smolder for several days after it is extinguished.
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North Adams Council Gives Initial OK to Zoning Change
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council wrapped up business in about 30 minutes on Tuesday, moving several ordinance changes forward.
A zoning change that would add a residential property to the commercial zone on State Road was adopted to a second reading but met with some pushback. The Planning Board recommended the change.
The vote was 5-2, with two other councilors abstaining, indicating there may be difficulty reaching a supermajority vote of six for final passage.
Centerville Sticks LLC (Tourists resort) had requested the extension of the Business 2 zone to cover 935 State Road. Centerville had purchased the large single-family home adjacent the resort in 2022.
Ben Svenson, principal of Centerville, had told a joint meeting of the Planning Board and City Council earlier this month that it was a matter of space and safety.
The resort had been growing and an office building across Route 2 was filled up.
"We've had this wonderful opportunity to grow our development company. That's meant we have more office jobs and we filled that building up," he said. "This is really about safety. Getting people across Route 2 is somewhat perilous."
This spring weekend, there are a variety of events in and around the Berkshires, including Spring Celebrations, music, cleanups, and more.
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More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
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"It wasn't 100 percent consistent but I was afforded the opportunity to get to know other people with different religion, beliefs, backgrounds and culture and to be able to embrace that." click for more