One Dead in Cummington House Fire

02:34PM / Saturday, April 29, 2023Print Story | Email Story

CUMMINGTON, Mass. — An early morning fire on Friday claimed one adult resident's life and injured another.

The identity of the fatality had not been released. A joint press release was issued by Cummington Fire Chief Adam E. Dragon, State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan.

"On behalf of the Cummington Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the victim's family," said Dragon. "This is a tragedy for them and our community."

The fire was first reported through a 911 call at about 5:37 Friday morning. The Fire Department responded the area of 9 Thayer Corner Road to find the single-family home fully involved. Firefighters immediately began suppression efforts but the structure sustained catastrophic damage. Firefighters battled the flames for more than two hours.

The home had working smoke alarms. One occupant was able to escape the fire and was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. The preliminary investigation suggests that the second occupant went to retrieve personal belongings and did not escape.

"If there's a fire at home, it's urgent that everyone get out, stay out, and call 911," said Ostroskey. "A fire at home can become deadly in less than three minutes. Don't risk your life for items that can be replaced."

While the exact cause of the fire has not been determined, investigators from the Fire Department, State Police Fire & Explosion investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and State Police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney's office have found no evidence that it was intentionally set.

Firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby homes, but one vehicle was damaged.

The fire departments from Ashfield, Goshen, Plainfield, and Worthington provided mutual aid. The state Department of Fire Services deployed a rehab unit to support personnel at the scene and code compliance and enforcement officers supported the investigation.

Tags: fatal, structure fire,

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Pittsfield Wants People to Know Where Free Public Wifi Is

By Brittany PolitoiBerkhshires Staff
04:46AM / Friday, September 18, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city wants it to be clear where people can connect to free public wifi— which expands beyond downtown.

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved "Free Wifi" signage at The Common, Riverway Park, and Durant Park. Community members can access the internet without charge in these locations, as well as in downtown areas.

Two years ago, Pittsfield received a $99,972 Digital Equity Implementation Grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. This allowed the city to take a comprehensive look at digital equity and determine where to focus attention.

"That was a lengthy process that we worked on, and there was a lot of public input. We did some surveying. We met with a lot of focus groups; [Berkshire Regional Planning Commission] was the group that spearheaded that for us, and one of the things that came up was the lack of accessible wifi," Director of Community Development Justine Dodds reported. "Particularly in the westside."

Throughout this process, residents also wanted to see connectivity at the nearby Westside Riverway Park.

In 2023, Pittsfield was selected to participate in the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program launched by the state and MBI, focused on ensuring residents can use the internet to conduct day-to-day activities. A digital equity plan also qualifies Pittsfield for additional grant funding.

Around 16,000 city households qualified for the Federal Communications Commission's affordable internet program that ended in 2024.

Dodds said adding Wi-FI and signage to Durant and Riverway Parks is a small piece of the larger digital equity project. Signage is already downtown, and the city plans to hire the same designer for the expanded wayfinding so it is cohesive.

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