SHELBURNE — A fire destroyed a single-family home at 90 Mohawk Trail (Route 2) on Wednesday, but did not result in any injuries.
Shelburne Fire Chief John Taylor said a male occupant and his dog safely escaped the blaze, which local fire officials say appears to be accidental in nature,
possibly due to an equipment or electrical failure. The state Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident.
A call came in at 4:18 p.m. reporting a fire in the area of Halligan Avenue, with subsequent callers locating the fire at 90 Mohawk Trail.
According to Taylor, first responders saw the fire from downtown and a full first alarm was dispatched, sending resources from seven additional departments. The Shelburne Falls Fire crew arrived on scene approximately eight minutes later and confirmed a fully-involved building fire, with the occupants safely out of the building. Taylor said most of the fire was extinguished within 30 minutes, but the house is considered a total loss. The homeowner and family dog will reportedly stay with relatives.
A bath tub sits in the burned rubble of the home at 90 Mohawk Trail in Shelburne Falls that burned Friday evening. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
What was left of the home at 90 Mohawk Trail in Shelburne Falls was knocked down by noon on Thursday. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
A vehicle suffered heat damage at the home at 90 Mohawk Trail in Shelburne Falls that burned Friday evening. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo
“This fire is an example [of] why we educate the public that ‘Fire is Fast!’ and everyone
needs to have a plan for their quick escape,” Taylor said in a statement Thursday. “People are more valuable than property.
Firefighters from Shelburne Falls, Shelburne, Charlemont, Greenfield, Buckland, Colrain, and Conway assisted on the scene. The Ashfield Fire Department provided regional station coverage. Colrain Ambulance stayed on scene in case medical assistance was needed and the Shelburne and Colrain police departments assisted in various ways, including temporarily reducing the flow of traffic on the Mohawk Trail to one lane before reopening both lanes and carefully guiding vehicles through the area.
“This is another example of how our local departments all work together, and while the outcome was not what we always hope for, saving the building, there were no reported injuries to the public or any responders,” Shelburne Falls Fire Chief Herb Guyette said in a statement Thursday.
