Fire Chief John Pansecchi, in white, talks strategy on Wednesday.
ADAMS, Mass. — At least eight fire companies responded to a Wednesday morning a structure fire in the old MacDermid Graphics building.
Firefighters and responders from Cheshire, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Lee, Savoy, North Adams, Pittsfield, Williamstown. Hinsdale also sent its rehab bus and Northern Berkshire EMS was on the scene with its rehab trailer.
The fire was reported at about 7:30 a.m. and black smoke could be seen looming over the old mill building at 10 Harmony St. Harmony and Prospect streets were closed to traffic.
The Adams Police Department posted on Facebook that Hoosac Valley Elementary School and Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School classes were cancelled for Wednesday. The schools are located not far from the structure.
Their post also reads, "Children on the bus already for Hoosac Valley Elementary School will be brought to the middle school gym at Hoosac Valley High School."
"BArT was already in session and will be evacuating to the Adams Visitor Center."
Fire Chief John Pansecchi said firefighters are approaching the blaze by pouring water at it from every angle.
"We have a fire in the building, looks like we have a lot of fire in the building and we're trying to get to it," he said. "Places have already collapsed prior to the fire, place that have collapsed since the fire, so not a lot of activity inside the building."
The mill, the former W.R. Grace, is made up of a number two- and three-story structures covering about 236,749 square feet. The fire was located in a long building toward the back of the property that runs alongside the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. The roof was fully engulfed in flames and collapsed in on itself around by 8 a.m.
Trucks from Williamstown were being situated in the Russell Field parking lot and firefighters were trying to find a location where they could attack the blaze from the trail.
Pansecchi said the building is supposed to be vacant.
"I was working when the call came in," he said. "My guys did a great job getting set up putting some hose lines and being prepared and got some plans put together when I got here to extend that and that's what were looking at."
The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time but the state fire marshal was on the scene.
Pansecchi said firefighters are providing observations from the outside and the North Adams drone has been deployed to determine the extent of the blaze. The buildings are large and unsafe in most cases to enter.
"We're making good progress but we're not at a point I'd call it contained," he said. "There's already places that have caved in prior to this."
He's been joined by fire chiefs from the various departments, who have been aiding the attack from different fronts.
"It's a really big help [having them] because you've got so much going on fighting a fire you don't think of the other things," the Adams chief said. "They start making suggestions."
Some of the structures on the complex date to 1881, when Renfrew Manufacturing built to produce jacquard textiles. It was the last asset of the company, and its machines and inventory were stripped out in 1927.
The mill's had various owners and periods of vacancy over the last century, but was probably best known as W.R. Grace, a specialty chemical company that bought it as part of the acquisition of Dewey & Almy Chemical in the mid-1950s.
MacDermid took it over in 1999 but closed the plant three years later, putting 86 people out of work.
The property has been vacant since and was purchased by 10 Harmony Street LLC for $53,500 in 2019, according the online assessor's records. Principal of the LLC is listed as John D. Duquette Jr.
Staff writers and photographers Breanna Steele, Jack Guerino, Tammy Daniels and Marty Alvarez contributed to this article.
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Local Realtor Earns GRI Designation
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Bishop West Real Estate announced that Pam Tworig, Realtor in the firm's Berkshire County offices, has earned the Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) designation through the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.
The GRI designation represents 90 hours of advanced, in-class real estate education, covering topics such as professional standards, contracts, finance, marketing, technology, and risk reduction. Realtors who achieve the GRI designation are recognized nationwide as having attained one of the highest levels of professional training in residential real estate.
The Graduate, Realtor Institute program meets rigorous standards established by the National Association of Realtors and is designed to help real estate professionals better serve buyers, sellers, and investors through enhanced knowledge, improved skills, and a deeper understanding of the industry.
Peter West, Co-Founder and Vice President of Bishop West Real Estate, congratulated Pam on this achievement.
"The GRI designation is truly the foundation for Realtors who want to elevate their craft," West said. "Holding a real estate license alone does not make someone qualified—ongoing education and mastery of the fundamentals are what set great professionals apart. Pam continues to demonstrate her commitment to excellence, and we are incredibly proud of her."
Corey Bishop, Co-Founder and President, also praised Pam's accomplishment and emphasized the company's dedication to professional development.
"Bishop West Real Estate agents hold more designations and advanced credentials than those at any other brokerage in Berkshire County," Bishop noted. "Pam embodies the standard we set for our team, and her earning the GRI designation reinforces our commitment to being the most knowledgeable and skilled real estate professionals in the region."
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