A Monday Afternoon House Fire In Pittsfield Is Deemed Accidental

Firefighters in Pittsfield were able to quickly extinguish a house fire at 125 Second Street on Monday afternoon. According to a report by the Pittsfield Fire Department, the fire was called in at around 5:30 PM.

The fire was accidental in nature...

According to the fire report issued by the Pittsfield Fire Department, the fire was accidentally started by a person using a blowtorch in an effort to remove weeds from the property. (See the details below)

According to Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Garner, upon arrival, firefighters found smoke and fire showing from the front of the 2-1/2 story, wood-frame, single-family residence, which was actually unoccupied and listed for sale.

According to Deputy Chief Garner, crews from Engines 1 and 2 worked to extinguish active fire showing on the exterior of the building, while the Engine 5 crew went into the building and checked for extension. Crews from another truck laddered the building and assisted in containment operations.

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Damage to the home was minimal...

There were no reported fire or civilian injuries reported as a result of the fire. Damage to the home was mostly contained to some siding and a few sheathing boards on the home’s exterior. Garner said that water damage to the home from the firefighting efforts was minimal. 

The fire, as mentioned earlier, was deemed to be accidental. A property caretaker was using a “blowtorch” to remove weeds from the property grounds and had apparently come just a little too close to the home. The torch accidentally ignited the home's siding which extended to the roof soffit area. The fire then grew inside the siding and wall boards from ground to roof. Fire personnel was able to keep the fire from making it to the inside of the building.