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Hooker Street and a section of Francis Street were closed off after a fire in a Francis Street home on Monday morning.

Two Dead in Fatal North Adams Fire

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Two people were found dead in Monday morning's fire on Francis Avenue. 
 
The Berkshire District Attorney's Office on Monday afternoon confirmed that firefighters had entered the single-family home to search for occupants and found the two already deceased. No other individuals were located inside the residence.  
 
The names of the fire victims are being withheld until notification of next of kin. The DA's Office stated that an update would be released once that is done.  
 
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of their deaths. The North Adams Police and State Police investigators from the State Fire Marshal and DA's office responded to the scene.
 
According to an earlier statement from the Fire Department, the fire was reported about 7:11 a.m. Scanner reports said smoke was coming from the roof and out the doors, and that individuals may have been inside. 
 
The home is on a hillside and firefighters entered through the basement access to attack the fire and search for occupants. 
 
The blaze was contained to the single-family home near the intersection with Hooker Street. 
 
Northern Berkshire EMS was called to the scene and Clarksburg was called to cover the station.
 
By 9 a.m., the fire was out, but police, fire and EMS were on the scene, which was cordoned off with yellow tape. Hooker Street was also closed off. 
 
According to the department, "emergency response agencies will remain on scene for an extended period for overhaul, investigation, and safety operations. The public is urged to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work safely and efficiently. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available."
 
Original post at 9:50 a.m., Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. 

Tags: fatal,   structure fire,   

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MCLA Graduates Told to Make the World Worthy of Them

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff

Keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt was awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts. He told the graduates to make the world worthy of them. See more photos here.  
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Amsler Campus Center gym erupted in cheers on Saturday as 193 members of class of 2026 turned their tassels.
 
The graduates of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' 127th commencement were sent off with the charge of "don't stop now" to make the world a better place.  
 
You are Trailblazers, keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt reminded them, and a "trailblazer is not simply someone who walks a path. A trailblazer makes one, but blazing a trail does not happen alone. Every trailblazer is carrying tools made by somebody else. Every trailblazer is guided by stars they did not create. Every trailblazer stands on grounds shaped by ancestors, teachers, workers, neighbors, friends, and strangers."
 
Trailblazing takes communal courage, he said, and they needed to love people, build with people, argue with people, and find the people who make them braver and kinder at the same time.
 
"The future will not be saved by isolated geniuses, it will be saved by networks of people willing to practice courage together. The future belongs not to the loudest, not to the richest, not to the most certain, but to the most adaptive, the most creative, the most courageous, the most willing to learn."
 
Bobbitt was recently named CEO of Opera American after nearly five years leading the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He stressed the importance of art to the graduates, and noted that opera is not the only art form facing challenges in this world. 
 
"Every field is asking, who are we for now? What do we, what value do we create?" he said. "What do we stop pretending is fine. This is not just an arts question, that is a healthcare question, a climate question, a technology question, a community question, a higher education question, a democracy question, a life question. ...
 
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