LENOX, Mass. — Multiple fire companies are battling a structure fire at the Wagon Wheel Inn on Route 7.

 

Motorists are asked to avoid Holmes Road, Pomeroy Avenue and surrounding areas near Route 7. The highway between Holmes Road and the Lenox shopping plaza has been closed since about 6:30.

 

Pittsfield Police say traffic is being rerouted off Route 7 and into neighborhood streets. 

 

Lenox Deputy Fire Chief William Colvin said the call was received at about 6:15 a.m. by the regional dispatch center. 

 

 "At this point, the biggest thing now we're battling besides, a fire is just ice issues, with freezing ice," Colvin said. "Our local highway department, the Lenox Highway Department have been here sanding and MassDOT is also helping with traffic and with salting of the road."

 

The departments from the city of Pittsfield, north, all the way down from Sheffield, were on the scene.

 

The state fire marshal and representatives from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency were also at the scene.

 

The fire is under investigation.

 

A Lenox resident on a BRTA bus saw the fire coming up through the middle of the building; a CVS employee in the plaza across the street saw flames and called it in. 

 

The front of the one-story motel was fully engulfed with a "yellow glow," one said. 

 

Colvin said Chief Robert Casucci was among the first on the scene and had told him it appeared the fire was in the central portion of the building.

 

An occupant of the motel said they thought it started in the laundry room and said no fire alarm went off until after everyone was out. 

 

Another person, Ed, reportedly knocked on doors to wake everyone and his neighbors credited him with saving their lives. Lenox Police also reportedly aided in the evacuation.

 

Several of the residents were at Market 32 trying to keep warm in the frigid temperatures. They said they were long-term tennants of the motel and now they had lost everything. 

 

They were taken to the Hinsdale rehab bus to keep warm. Red Cross was at the scene and was working on accommodations for them.

 

Numerous fire companies were at the scene, including fire engines from Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge.

 

Images from the Pittsfield Fire Department show the building in flames that spread through the north side of the structure. Smoke could be seen billowing over Route 7. 

 

"Fortunately, at this point, as far as I know, no one's been injured," Colvin said at the scene. "All residents have been accounted for. I believe there was 13 people staying at the hotel at the time, they've all been accounted for."

 

He said it took firefighters at least 90 minutes to to two hours to bring the blaze under control. 

 

"But there's a lot of hidden voids, a lot of attic areas and stuff that we can't get to, so we're just chasing it right now, from, you know, hot spot to hot spot, trying to put out all the different areas," he said. "There's some small areas where there's still fire burning, but nothing major at this time."

 

Fire engines were using the parking lot of the adjacent Mazzeo's Italian Deli to attack blaze. Colvin said the deli owners opened early so motel residents and firefighters could warm up

 

The Mazda dealership [on the other side of the motel] opened their doors to us right away this morning to let both residents and firefighters come in to warm up," he said. "Unfortunately, we're going to be occupying the area most of the day so, but we'll hopefully, you know, get out here soon again so they can open."

 

Write-thru at 9:48 a.m.