ADAMS -- Officials blame a faulty circuit for causing an early morning fire that destroyed a Brown Street residence on Friday.
The fire broke out around 5:45 a.m. at 18 Brown St.
Adams Fire Chief Paul Goyette said the Adams man who owned the home, who the chief did not identify by name, was not at home at the time of the fire. No one was injured.
The Adams Fire Department responded to the scene and had the fire under control within an hour.
Adams fire personnel later conducted an investigation with members of the state fire marshal's office. They determined that the fire originated in the stairwell at the center of the building near the top of the basement stairs, and the spark was caused by a fault in a basement circuit feeding a light in that area. Goyette said the fault was "most likely due to poor grounding."
The two-and-a-half-story wood frame structure, which was fully insured, was heavily damaged by flames, smoke and water, leaving the roof open and the insides of the home exposed to the elements. Goyette said the home is uninhabitable and will likely be torn down.
A neighboring property sustained some heat damage to its siding.
The fire chief said the department received mutual aid from the North Adams Fire Department, Adams Ambulance Service and rehab unit, and Cheshire Fire Department. A member from the Berkshire County Red Cross was also on scene.
Though only four days into the new year, Goyette
"I'm very proud of the way our people did their job in these cases and appreciate the mutual aid from the other towns too," Goyette said.
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