No Injuries in Overnight Blaze in Williamstown
The primary point of attack for the fire was through a garage door at the front of the structure.
No injuries were associated with the blaze at 551 Henderson Road, which was called in by owner Philip Larabee at 10:07 p.m., Fire Chief Craig Pedercini reported on Friday morning.
No one was in the structure when the fire started, Pedercini said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Firefighters from Williamstown, Clarksburg and Pownal, Vt., worked on the fire until about 4 a.m., Pedercini said.
Fourteen call volunteer firefighters from Williamstown were on scene along with seven or eight firefighters from Pownal. Clarksburg sent a tanker to the scene and provided coverage at the Williamstown fire station until 2 a.m.
Williamstown Police and Northern Berkshire Emergency Medical Services also were on scene in a support role, but Pedercini reported that no first responders were injured.
"One of the hazards I was mostly concerned about was ice," Pedercini said. "The ground was wet and frozen. I was more concerned someone might rush too much and slip on the ice and get hurt.
"I cautioned everybody, and they did a great job."
Another concern was the presence of propane, acetylene and oxygen tanks inside the building, he said.
"We pulled some stuff out of there because it was easily accessible and got it out of the way," Pedercini said.
He credited the first firefighters on the scene with helping to prevent the blaze from getting out of hand
"One of my first officers arrived on scene and saw flames as they came up Brook Road," Pedercini said. "It was burning on the back side of the building. That was the initial area.
"The first two guys in did a great job knocking it down. They used a 2 1/2-inch line, which is a lot of water. They got it knocked down so it was manageable with a lot less water."
Among the responders from Williamstown were five Williams College students, including several who joined the service this year, Pedercini said.
"One of them was a little more seasoned," he said. "He's been around a few years. He was one of the first ones on the initial attack with one of my officers.
"The other ones learned a lot. I couldn't get them into any fire, but they were able to be of use grabbing tools, bringing things back and forth, and we had them on a handline."
Thursday's fire also marked the first time Williamstown's recently acquired tanker truck was used to fight a blaze. Pedercini said his officers estimated a little less than 5,000 gallons of water was used in the operation.
Tags: structure fire,
