Egremont Fire Dept. Dispatched to Early Morning Fire

At 2:38 am Friday morning, Jan, 16, the Egremont Fire Department was dispatched for a chimney Fire and Fire in a wall at 83 Whites Hill Road. The home is actually located in Hillsdale, NY but the only access is through Egremont's Fire district. The road leading to the residence is very long narrow dirt road. Egremont Car 1 immediately requested his first alarm and tanker task force for mutual aid bringing units from Great Barrington, Sheffield, Monterey, and New Marlborough from Massachusetts. Copake, NY responded with their RIT, Hillsdale and Craryville, Ny responded with tankers. Canaan and Lakeville, CT responded with tankers as well.

Car 1 arrived on scene confirming a working structure fire. E4 arrived shortly after with a short crew. E4 crew and Car 1 and the help of EPD officer on duty pulled a hand line and made a quick exterior attack and knocked the Fire down. Great Barrington 26 and E3 showed up minutes after and went to work inside before the fire could spread any further. The Fire was under control in less than 30 minutes. Extensive overhaul was done making sure it didn’t spread into the attic area and further in the walls.

All occupants and animals made it out of the house. The home owner luckily woke up to a crackling noise and immediately called 9-1-1. There was no working smoke detectors in the residence and the fire was caused by multiple cracks in the chimney.

This is the second day in a row Southern Berkshire county has had structure fires that where started by chimneys that where in poor condition and no working smoke detectors. The home in Egremont can be salvaged and everyone made it out.

The Egremont Fire Department asks you to please clean and have your chimneys inspected every year and make sure you have smoke detectors that are in working condition.

National Grid, Egremont Police, Southern Berkshire Ambulance, and Egremont Highway Department assisted on scene as well.

(information provided by the Egremont Fire Department's Facebook page)