TURNERS FALLS — A small wooden shed at 12 Alice St. was deemed a total loss following a fire on Thursday evening, although a quick response from firefighters saved the nearby home and surrounding structures.
According to Turners Falls Fire Chief Todd Brunelle, the fire was reported at around 4:50 p.m. Although residents were home at the time of the fire, Brunelle was unsure who had first reported it.
He noted the glow of the fire could be seen from the Public Safety Complex just a few blocks away. Firefighters with Engine 1 arrived and started hosing down the fire, while a second engine hooked up to a nearby hydrant.
A call for mutual aid brought firefighters from Bernardston, Erving, Greenfield and Montague Center. Orange was also called to provide station coverage. Because those who responded knocked the fire down quickly and stopped the blaze from spreading to nearby structures, the request for extra departments was soon canceled.
Firefighters sifted through the ashes to ensure there were no isolated areas still smoldering, and hosed down the nearby shed that had much of its siding melted on the wall that faced the fire. There was also heat damage to the exterior of a nearby camper and a corner of the house, but Brunelle said the residents were not displaced.
Brunelle said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Reach Paul Franz at pfranz@recorder.com or 413-930-4128.
