image description — The fire broke out on Monday, Dec. 8.

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North Adams Structure Fire Escalates to All-Call Freezing Temperatures

Staff Reports 08:34AM / Tuesday, December 09, 2025Print Story | Email Story

The fire was determined to be an All-Call.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A late-night structure fire required an "All-Call" response from North Adams emergency crews Monday, who faced operational challenges due to air temperatures near zero degrees.

According to North Adams 911, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Firefighters and emergency personnel were dispatched to 325 Walnut Street. The incident was quickly escalated to an "All-Call," mobilizing all available municipal and mutual aid personnel.

While the property was determined to be unoccupied, the extreme cold caused water applied by crews to freeze. This resulted in wet surfaces becoming dangerously icy, creating hazardous conditions for first responders throughout the operation.

Fire departments from Clarksburg and Williamstown responded with mutual aid, bringing tanker trucks. Clarksburg also provided an air supply unit to assist with recharging the firefighters' breathing apparatuses.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Tags: structure fire,

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North Adams Councilors to Speak Against Berkshire Gas Rate Hike

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:16PM / Wednesday, February 04, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Public Services Committee is planning a show of force at Thursday's public hearing on rate hikes for Berkshire Gas Co.

The rate increase was raised at its Tuesday meeting, when Chair Peter Breen said "utilities" had been added to the committee's review.

"Because public utilities are controlled by the municipality — the electric, the natural gas, the cable — those are all part of public service," he said, explaining why Council President Ashley Shade had made the change. "We negotiate, we legislate. And a good example right now is on Thursday, there's a public hearing. The Berkshire Gas company wants to raise the rate 21 percent to 27 percent."

The utility is asking to adjust distribution rates to generate $22.2 million, which it anticipates will result in a 21.6 percent rate increase on average. In filings with the state's Department of Public Utilities, Berkshire Gas is estimating up to about $54 a month increase for residential heating and $12 for non-heating customers.

Gov. Maura Healey has stated her opposition to the proposal, calling the rate hike unaffordable for Massachusetts customers.

"This proposed increase in utility bills could not come at a worse time for families and businesses in Western Mass. It's why we took $180 million off electric bills and pushed the utilities to provide immediate relief to gas customers this winter," she said in a statement, referring to the use of state funds to cut heating costs in February and March.

A public hearing was held last week in Greenfield; a virtual hearing is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and an in-person one at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Berkshire Community College.

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