GREENFIELD — At least six towns sent firefighters and emergency personnel to 29 High St. Saturday, where a fire torched the inside of an apartment and dissipated an outer wall.
The call came in around 2 p.m., prompting a “Level 2” response due to the close proximity of other buildings, according to Greenfield Fire Chief Robert Strahan.
No one was injured, and no one was home at when the fire started. However, one dog and one cat were rescued from the apartment.
The animals are expected to be okay according to the Greenfield Fire Department.
A picture posted to the Greenfield, Mass Police Department Facebook page Saturday evening showed a gray tabby cat with an oxygen mask after being rescued from the fire. The cat was taken to the South Deerfield Emergency Vet by Officers Patricia West and Chris Rowell.
While no one was home at the time of the fire, Taylor reported “extensive damage” to the second floor apartment, rendering it uninhabitable. The first floor apartment also sustained water and smoke damage.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
“The fire was aggressively knocked down,” Strahan said, praising the dozens of responders from across the county.
According to Strahan, the fire started in the rear area of the two-story building’s second floor. Characterizing the scene as a “heavy fire,” Strahan said it spread into the attic of the building.
Several ladder trucks were used, and firefighters were seen climbing up and through the windows — into the blackened innards of the building.
Residents, who would not give their names, watched the response from afar.
“I could see smoke the whole time,” one man said. “I didn’t see any flames, but there was lots of smoke.”
Fred Clark, a retired firefighter and member of the Greenfield Public Safety Commission, said the fire was quickly attacked, and that a command post was set up in the middle of the road to rapidly delegate responsibilities to the dozens of firefighters on the scene.
Mutual aid came from as far as Orange, and also included the Northfield, Turners Falls, South Deerfield and Shelburne fire departments.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.