A devastating fire on Friday afternoon completely destroyed a multifamily apartment house in Pittsfield, leaving at least 13 people displaced. Fire crews from Pittsfield and Dalton worked into the evening to extinguish the fire which also involved two other adjacent houses.

Heavy smoke and flames upon firefighter arrival...

The Pittsfield Fire Department responded to 112 Lincoln Street at approximately 4:50 PM on Friday for a reported structure fire. Firefighters, upon arriving on the scene found heavy fire engulfing a second-floor porch on the "A" side of the building. According to Pittsfield Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Noyes, Engine 3 arrived on the scene and deployed a handline to darken down the porch fire so that crews could transition to an interior attack.

Fire crews moved efficiently as the attack on the fire began...

According to the media report from the Pittsfield Fire Department, Engine 2 and 5 crews stretched additional handlines to start the interior attack, while the Engine 1 crew set up a Rapid Intervention Team. Tower 2 deployed a ground ladder and assisted with fire attack operations. Firefighters forced entry to the 2nd-floor apartments and began an interior attack while encountering heavy fire. They were initially able to make headway. The Engine 2 crew found the second-floor stairway to the "AB" side engulfed in flames. They attacked the fire and made it to the second floor, while heavy fire conditions were reported throughout the second floor "AB" side.

 

(Above: More video from the Friday fire that left at least 13 people displaced.)

 

A second alarm was struck. As crews switched out their self-contained breathing apparatus bottles and attempted to resume interior operations. The fire rapidly began to spread and threaten exposures on the “B” and "C" sides of the building. All companies were called out of the building and Engine 1 was reassigned from Rapid Intervention to protect the exposure on the “C” side.

 

Engine 6 arrived on the scene and they are directed to protect the exposure on the “B” side. Shortly after, fire penetrated the “C” side exposure. E6 was then redeployed to attack the fire in the attic of the “C” side exposure.

Mutual aid was called in from Dalton and Lenox...

A third alarm was then struck. Car 4 was assigned to the sector commander for the initial interior attack of the “C” side exposure. Chief Sammons took over command of that building. More manpower was called from called back crews and mutual aid companies. Tower 2 and Dalton Tower 1 began master stream operations on the original fire building. Crews continued to operate multiple handlines to protect exposure and to bring the fire under control.

As manpower arrived, they were assigned to the “C” side exposure. Tower 1 and Lenox Engine 3 were directed to Oak Street to prepare for additional master streams in case needed to confine the fire to the two buildings involved. Crews operating on the “C” side exposure were able to bring that fire under control and extensive overhaul operations began.

 

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Multifamily unit completely gutted, no one was hurt...

The 112 Lincoln Street building was completely gutted by the fire and sustained significant smoke, water, and heat damage. There were no reported civilian or firefighter injuries as a result of the blaze.

As for the cause, the fire remains under investigation. Chief Sammons worked with the local Red Cross and MEMA to assist the displaced occupants in finding shelter for the evening.

 

More Photos and Video from the fire:

Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer
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Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer
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Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer
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Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer
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(Above: Fire investigators talk to a possible witness)

 

Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer
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