CHARLEMONT — There were believed to be no injuries in a one-alarm fire that engulfed a trailer at a Charlemont motel on Friday and required at least eight fire departments at the scene.
The fire tone was received at 6:42 p.m. and Dennis Annear, with the Northwest Massachusetts Incident Management Team, said the blaze was under control before 7:45 p.m.
The trailer, at 1701 Route 2, is owned by the Pizzi family, who also owns Giovanni’s Red Rose Motel. Aldo Pizzi told The Recorder his family rents the trailer to two people, who he said were not in the structure at the time. He said his family has insurance on the property.
Annear, who recently retired as the Charlemont fire chief, said Route 2 was not closed during the fire because doing so would create too many traffic problems.
Smoke billowed out of the one-floor structure and firefighters blasted the trailer as the sun set behind the horizon. Gusts of wind occasionally fanned the flames. Exhausted firefighters could be seen catching their breath and drinking bottles of water.
Annear said firefighters were working from outside the trailer because the floor inside was compromised.
“Number one rule — all these guys go home,” he said.
A Charlemont fire engine set up a water supply from the Deerfield River. Annear said the American Red Cross had been called to assist the trailer’s residents.
You can reach Domenic Poli at:
dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 257. On Twitter, follow @DomenicPoli