image description — A fire at the back of the Old Forge Restaurant damaged the salad bar area and outside deck on Sunday morning.

Previous Next

Olde Forge Owner Says Restaurant Will Recover from Sunday Fire

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:25PM / Sunday, August 28, 2022Print Story | Email Story

An image shared around Facebook shows the flames.

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The popular Old Forge restaurant on Route 7 suffered severe damage in the rear of the building from a fire late Sunday morning.

There is damage in the salad bar and back of the building but owner Kirk Grippo said the eatery is going to be back open as soon as possible.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened," he said as firefighters checked the damage off the rear deck. "We're working on it already. I'm resilient. We're going to fix the damage to the end of the building, we've already been working together with the building inspectors, electrician, the insurance companies. We're going to figure it out real quick."

"They say it's OK from the salad bar forward, which may mean the downstairs is fine, too, so we're going to do everything we can to get it up and running and get back as fast as possible. I'm resilient. I'm not gonna let this go."

The Fire Department got the call about the blaze around 10 a.m. There were substantal smoke and flames were showing in the rear of the building. Several posts to Facebook showed black smoke and large flames coming off the deck area. The restaurant was not open at that hour and it's not clear if any employees were in the building. Its hours on Sunday are normally noon to 8.

The fire appeared to be contained by about 11 a.m. Fire Chief Jeff Dechaine reported that a majority of the fire was out and that firefighters were looking for extension in the building and hot spots in hard-to-reach areas because of the age of the building.

He said the cause and extent of the damage was not yet determined but that there were no reported injuries. The Berkshire Eagle later reported a firefighter was taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield as a precaution.

The siding and decking on the rear of the building is charred and a hole is visible in the rear roof from the blaze.

Firefighters could be seen throwing what appeared to be charred furniture and wood off the deck.

Cheshire, Dalton, Hancock and Hinsdale fire departments responded to the scene. Route 7 was blocked off from traffic to accommodate response.

The Olde Forge is known for its chicken wings and extensive beer selection. It has been in business for more than 40 years.

Tags: structure fire,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

RIBCO Supply

Check out our great lineup of Boss Plows, and spreaders. 2 Locations Clarksburg & Pittsfield!

ribcosupply.com

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

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

Pittsfield Accepts Grant for Domestic Violence Services

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:43PM / Thursday, January 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Police Department received more than $66,000 from the state to assist survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in collaboration with the Elizabeth Freeman Center.

On Tuesday, the City Council accepted a $66,826.52 Violence Against Women's Act STOP Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The longtime Civilian Advocate Program is described as "the critical bridge between victims and law enforcement."

"The Civilian Advocate Program brings law enforcement and victim services together to reach survivors sooner and respond more effectively to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Through a collaboration between the Pittsfield Police Department and Elizabeth Freeman Center, this program bridges critical service gaps in our rural community, increasing safety and recovery for victims," the program summary reads.

Founded in 2009, the program focuses on creating an integrated and trauma-informed response, ensuring access that meets the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations, cross-training, and making a community impact.

The Freeman Center has received more than 3,500 hotline calls in fiscal year 2025 and served nearly 950 Pittsfield survivors. In the past year, 135 clients came through the program, but there was limited capacity and reach, with only part-time hours for the civilian advocate.

According to court reports, Berkshire County's rate of protection order filings is 42 percent higher than the state average.

"Violence against women is an incredibly important topic, and when you read through the packet, it highlights that here in Berkshire County, our protection rates are 40 percent higher than the national rate," Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi said.

Divya Chaturvedi, executive director of the Freeman Center, said there is a "crying need" for these services in Berkshire County.

View Full Story