image description — Firefighters remove the decorative steeple at Price Memorial AME Zion Church that was hit by lightning on Sunday night.

Lightning Strike Burns Pittsfield Church Steeple

11:08PM / Sunday, June 25, 2023Print Story | Email Story

The lightning strike started a fire in the Linden Street church's steeple.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A lightning strike started a fire in the steeple at Price Memorial AME Zion Church on Sunday.

Firefighters responded to the report of a chimney fire at the church about 7:49 p.m. and saw fire coming from the steeple.

The Engine 3 crew searched for interior access to the steeple and checked for fire extension. Engine 5 supplied water and used the "deck gun monitor." Also responding was Engine 1 and Engine 6, as the rapid intervention team.

The fire was extinguished within 45 minutes.

The church steeple was essentially an "ornamental" design and

not part of the church's main foundational support structure," said Deputy Chief Daniel Garner in his report.

The top portion of the steeple sustained heavy fire damage. Firefighters removed the damaged portion of the steeple to ensure full extinguishment. Eyewitness reports verified the fire was caused was due to a lightning strike. At the time leading up to this incident the center of the city had experienced a localized microburst thunder and lightning storm.

Garner said due to the quick, hard work of fire personnel and a little divine intervention the fire never gained a foothold on the main part of the church.

There were no fire or civilian injuries from this incident. Damage estimates not available at the time of this writing.

This was the second fire within a 12-hour period. There was a fire alarm activation at 9:15 a.m. at Patrick's Pub. Firefighters found some smoke and water on arrival and a small fire was found to have occurred in a corner of the kitchen near the rear exit. It was extinguished by a single sprinkler head located right above the fire origin. Firefighters ensured full extinguishment and secured the system water flow to limit further damage.

The fire was caused by spontaneous combustion of oil-soaked rags. Damage estimates are not available at this time. City Health Department and Fire Prevention are working with the owner to get the restaurant opened again.

Tags: lightning, structure fire,

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BCC 40 Under 40 Winners to be Honored

01:24PM / Wednesday, February 04, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC), together with partners 1Berkshire and Mill Town Foundation, will honor the winners of its annual 40 Under Forty Awards on Wednesday, March 18 at 5 p.m. in the Robert Boland Theater, located on the main campus at 1350 West Street.

Tickets are $40 per person (free for award winners and one guest per winner) and may be purchased online at www.berkshirecc.edu/40-tix. Proceeds benefit support Workforce and Community Education programs at BCC, addressing immediate needs and helping to build a lasting endowment.

According to a press release:

40 Under Forty celebrates talented people in the Berkshires, under the age of 40, who have a deep dedication to improving the quality of life for those living and working in our community. Nominees, who hail from throughout Berkshire County, are eligible for the award through their professional work and how it makes a difference, their personal commitment to their community, or other efforts to improve the quality of life for those living and working the Berkshires.

Mill Town Foundation will promote purposeful giving by funding each 40 Under Forty Award winner with $1,000 to re-grant to an eligible Berkshire-based nonprofit organization.

The winners, along with their non-profit of choice to receive the $1,000 funding, are:

Lilia Baker, Volunteers in Medicine, donating to ViM Berkshires
Jillian Bamford, On Pointe Barre & Fitness Studio, donating to No Paws Left Behind
Haley Barbieri, Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion and Museum / Shakespeare & Company, donating to Lenox Library Association
Patrick Becker, General Dynamics Mission Systems, donating to Craneville Elementary - PTO
Deirdre Bird, Dri Umbrellas, donating to The Denise Kaley Fund for Berkshire County Women with Cancer at BTCF
Miranda Bona, Fuss & O'Neill, Inc., donating to Jacks Galore
Amanda Carpenter, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, donating to Youth Center Inc.
Lindsay Cornwell, Second Street Second Chances, Inc. / Berkshire County Sheriff's Office, donating to Elizabeth Freeman Center
AJ Cote, Food Pantries of the Capital District, donating to Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds Inc.
Charlotte (Linden) Crane, Berkshire Community College, donating to CBRSD - Wahconah Regional High School CPR program
Jessie Downer, Lamacchia Realty, donating to Strong Little Souls
Michael Duffy, Pittsfield Public Schools – Taconic, donating to Temple Anshe Amunim
Devan Gardner, Greylock Federal Credit Union, donating to Berkshire Lyric
Christa Gariepy, Berkshire Health Systems, donating Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires (the Seed Room)
Alexander Hernandez, Berkshire Medical Center, Somos Berkshires, donating to Katunemo Arts and Healing (Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. as its fiscal sponsor)
Hilary Houldsworth, Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc., donating to Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc.
Keytoria Jenkins, United States Postal Service and Keys with Keytoria, donating to Choices Mentoring Initiative
Tom Jorgenson, Berkshire Athenaeum, donating to Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County
Amanda Lardizabal, Berkshire Community College, donating to Berkshire Humane Society
Emma Lenski, Berkshire Pride / Collaborative Endeavors, LLC / Indie Readery & Records, donating to Berkshire Pride
Molly Lovejoy, Railroad Street Youth Project, donating to Railroad Street Youth Project
Kaitlyn Maloy, Berkshire Medical Center, donating to Berkshire Health Systems Nursing Residency
Sheetal Manerkar, Berkshire Medical Center, donating to Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc.
Zachary Marcotte, Berkshire Money Management, donating to Berkshire Humane Society (Community Cat Program)
Stephanie Maselli, Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School, donating to Williamstown Youth Center
Charell McFarland, Community First Therapy and Consulting, LLC, donating to R.O.P.E (Rites of Passage & Empowerment Inc)
Molly Merrihew, WAM Theatre, donating to Latinas413
Travis Mille, ConvenientMD Urgent Care, donating to BFAIR
Octavio Miranda Nallin, Amici Berkshires, donating to Litnet
Kaitlyn Moresi, BFAIR, donating to Love of T Foundation
Kaci Nowicki, Greylock Federal Credit Union, donating to Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention
Katherine Oberwager, Baystate Medical Center, donating to Pediatric Developmental Center
Erik Ray, MountainOne Bank, donating to Youth Center Inc.
Nicholas Russo, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, donating to Zion Lutheran Church
Brianna Sabato, Pittsfield Public Schools, donating to Berkshire Running Foundation
Alyssa Sakowski, Berkshire County Head Start, donating to Berkshire County Head Start
Sierra Shehemi, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, donating to MS Support Foundation
Brittany Sumner, Berkshire ABA, donating to Families Like Ours (FLO)
Austin White, County Ambulance, donating to Emergency Medical Service Committee of Berkshire County
Emily Zelenovic, Law Office of Emily Zelenovic, donating to Construct Inc.