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Adams firefighters respond to wall fire on Friday afternoon on West Street.
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Adams Firefighters Stop Fire in Home's Wall

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
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ADAMS, Mass. — Firefighters were called out Friday afternoon to deal with a smoking wall in a duplex on West Street.
 
Fire Chief John Pansecchi said the fire was in the wall between 22 and 24 West.
 
"We had to open up on the second floor above that and on the porch on the 22 side just to edify the hotspots are out," he said. "We've still got a little smoking ... we're trying to figure out where it's from. ...
 
"We're doing our due diligence."
 
He said there was smoke coming up through the floorboards on the second floor when he arrived.
 
"You knew something was going on. It was just a matter of finding it," Pansecchi said.
 
Firefighters did see some flames inside but "very little ... we hit it pretty quick."
 
He expected to be on scene for another 30 or 45 minutes. That was around 4:30 p.m.
 
The is under investigation although Pansecchi was "90 percent sure" of cause. He declined to say until he had consulted with the other firefighters.
 
He expected the occupants of 22 to be able to return to their home. There was some damage to 24 including the door. No one was injured.
 
Cheshire responded for mutual aid; Lanesborough was called to cover the Cheshire station.

Tags: structure fire,   

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Adams Home Gutted by Early Morning Fire

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff

The cause of the blaze was undetermined and the state fire marshal was on their way. 

ADAMS, Mass. — An early morning fire on Richmond Lane gutted a single-family home Thursday. 

Update: the Eagle reports the fire was caused by discarded smoking materials and that two adults and a child were in the house. iBerkshires had left messages for the chief that have not yet been returned.

Fire Chief John Pansecchi said the structure fire was called in about 4:30 a.m.; three hours later, firefighters were still chasing a smoky stubborn blaze between the first and second floors. 
 
"It was heavy fire on the first floor, spreading to the interior," said Pansecchi. "It was unknown if anybody was in the house. Started a quick knock down, and got most of fire knocked down pretty quick."
 
The initial call was that someone was still in the home, but the chief said everyone had gotten out and was accounted for. 
 
The interior of the nearly 100-year-old Cape Cod was burned and blackened. Firefighters were able to enter the building and but smoke continued to pour of from under the eaves of the snow-covered roof as well as occasional licks of flame. The second story is listed as a three-quarter, with two dormers in the rear. 
 
"Right now, there's a lot of fire up in the void areas between the second floor, in the attic area about the second floor," Pansecchi said. "We're trying to get it, but it's stubborn. ...
 
"You got to open up all the ceilings and pull it all down. There's a couple hot spots on the outside that keep flaring up there."
 
He couldn't speak to the cause at this point but said the state fire marshal has been called to investigate. 
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