NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The State Fire Marshal's office is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information about the fire that damaged for the old Hunter foundry on Sunday night.
"We're asking anyone in the area of Hunter Foundry Road in the late afternoon or early evening on Sunday to share their observations with investigators," said North Adams Fire Chief Brent Lefebvre.
He and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey are asking that anyone with information on the blaze share it with investigators. Ostroskey said anonymous tips will be accepted.
Officials did not state if there was a suspected cause.
The North Adams Fire Department was notified of the fire shortly after 5:15 Sunday evening and responded to find the doors locked on the century-old building and an interior storage room fully engulfed in flames.
The fire caused significant damage to the first and second floors. Firefighters had to make a forced entry through a window to attack the fire from inside, bringing it under control in less than an hour. Mutual aid companies responded from Clarksburg and Williamstown.
Fire crews were on the scene for more than four hours pulling out debris and putting out hotspots. The foundry closed in 1962 and had been used primarily for storage in the following decades. Lefebvre said on Sunday that the building was not occupied and that it had no electric service.
The property is at the end of a narrow road, Hunter Foundry Road, off State Street. It is not easily visible and abuts the Apkins scrapyard.
The fire could be seen from a distance because of the thick black smoke coming from the building. Firefighters had to run several hundred feet of hose from a hydrant on State Street.
The Arson Watch Reward Program posts rewards of up to $5,000 to anyone who provides information that helps prevent, detect, or solve an arson crime. Persons with information can call the Arson Hotline confidentially at 1-800-682-9229 24 hours a day. The Arson Watch Reward Program is sponsored by the property and casualty insurance underwriting companies in Massachusetts.
The fire is being jointly investigated by the North Adams Fire Department and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office.
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Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
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