Pittsfield to Host Open House for Safety Action Plan

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Public Services & Utilities will be hosting the first open house about Pittsfield's Safety Action Plan on Wednesday,
 
April 15, 2026, from 5:00p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Hot Plate Brewing Company, located at 1 School Street.
 
The City of Pittsfield received federal funding to develop a Safety Action Plan and Traffic Calming Program that will guide future transportation safety investments, including improved infrastructure, policy and programs.
 
Community members who attend this open house will have an opportunity to learn more about this work and provide feedback on how Pittsfield can make our streets safer for everyone. 
 
This
will be the first of several opportunities for the community to get involved as additional meetings will be planned.
 
For additional information on this project, visit the project website or email City Engineer, Tyler Shedd at tshedd@pittsfieldma.gov.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive. 

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour. 

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.  

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children.  The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation.  One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue. 

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out. 

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release. 

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