image description — The fire broke out Tuesday evening.

Morningside Fire Displaces All Tenants

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:04AM / Wednesday, September 04, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 2-alarm structure fire at a Woodlawn Avenue apartment building left the building uninhabitable.

The Pittsfield Fire Department was dispatched to a five-family at 181 Woodlawn Ave. around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Upon arrival, they found heavy fire in the back of the downstairs apartment extending to the second floor. The blaze was under control in about an hour.

Building Owner Jeremiah Ames, principal of Lenox Memorial High School, reported that all tenants described the fire as coming on "very, very fast."

"All of our tenants are safe. It sounds like one tenant lost a cat," he said. "The fire definitely started in one unit, but I don't know how it started at all."

Occupants are not able to re-enter the building and the Red Cross has been notified.

Deputy Fire Chief Ronald Clement said the department made an aggressive interior attack, and the fire went to a double alarm due to the amount of smoke it was pushing out.

"Every window had smoke coming out of it that we could see," he explained, adding that it left the department to believe there was possibly a lot more burning inside than what they could see.

The handful of people in the home got out safely and there were primary and secondary searches to confirm that it was clear. Clement reported that a cat was taken out of the home unconscious.

There were no reported firefighter or civilian injuries.

Ames has owned the home for about 18 years and said this was the first fire event during that time.

"We’re trying to figure out what we’re doing next. They can’t go back in. No one will be able to get their things," he said, explaining that they want to keep the building safe and secure overnight hoping that tenants can retrieve some of their property later.

Clement reported that there was heavy damage to at least one apartment, smoke damage to all apartments, and water damage to a few of them.

Around 6:45 p.m., he estimated that some members of the department would be there another two hours. The dead-end street was closed off during the response and was planned to open back up soon.

The fire is under investigation by the Pittsfield Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit.

Tags: structure fire,

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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