Pittsfield Fire Causes Damage to Historic Pomeroy Home
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A midnight fire on Pomeroy Avenue caused upwards of $10,000 damage to one of the city's historic homes.
Firefighters to responded to 55 Pomeroy Ave. at 12:19 a.m. on Wednesday and found heavy smoke conditions with active fire in the rear of the 150-year-old, 2 1/2 story, two-unit residence. The fire took around two hours to extinguish and all occupants were accounted for and outside upon the department's arrival.
There were no reported injuries and the cause is currently under investigation.
"It was a quick knockdown, the guys did a great job, an aggressive, aggressive attack, and we're still waiting for the investigators to come up with a cause," Fire Chief Thomas Sammons told iBerkshires on Wednesday afternoon.
Deputy Chief Daniel Garner was the officer in charge on the scene and Sammons arrived around 12:30 a.m.
The fire began on a back stoop and extended into the first-floor utility room and second floor. The Engine 3 crew attacked the main body of the fire while E1 provided water supply and primary search. The E6 crew assisted with a water supply and secondary fire attacks while the Tower 1 crew ventilated the building and assisted in checking for extension to ensure the fire was out.
This fire presented logistical challenges such as water supply, the house's setback from the street, and the "aggressive attack" that had to be done stop the fire before it got to the attic. Because of this, a second alarm was struck that brought the E2 and E5 crews to the scene.
"The main body of fire was knocked down, but then we just had a tough time," Sammons said. "There was a double roof so they cut through the one roof and then there was another old roof underneath that one, so it took us a little bit a little ingenuity to locate the seat of the fire and fully extinguish it."
Joe Durwin, who runs the "Home Historian" Facebook page, wrote that the historical Italianate home was built in 1875 for E. D. Jones, a millwright who founded E. D. Jones & Sons. The company then merged with Beloit Corp. in 1955 and became Beloit Jones, a significant local employer.
Durwin also told iBerkshires that Jones sold the house to Charles Kellogg, founder of the Robbins & Kellogg company, in 1882. Durwin is a contributor to iBerkshires.
Sammons said it was hard to say if the areas affected by fire were original structures. He estimated that the utility room was an addition and described it as a "well-organized, well-designed addition to the house."
The damage from heat, water and smoke was estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000.
Tags: historic structure, structure fire,
