CHESTERFIELD — Smoking products are the likely cause of a fire Tuesday that razed a single-family home at 592 Main Road and shut down Route 143 for the majority of the day.
Fire departments from across Hampshire County were called in at about 11:30 a.m. to combat the blaze that didn’t take any human or animal lives. However, a firefighter was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and has been released, officials said.
“The nature and extent of the damage made it difficult to reach a conclusive determination, but the most likely cause was smoking materials,” the State Fire Marshall’s office wrote in a statement Wednesday. The fire remains under investigation.
“The home and its contents are considered a total loss,” said Chesterfield Fire Chief David Hewes, who was on scene and described the situation in a statement issued Wednesday.
“The fire was brought under control within approximately 30 minutes of dispatch. No occupants were home at the time of the fire. Two cats were rescued and survived the incident,” he said. “Due to the home’s location at the end of a very steep driveway well off Main Road, access was challenging.”
Two people on site on Wednesday declined to comment. The home is owned by Jonathan Sheeley, according to town property records.
According to Hewes, the fire was reported by a resident approximately a quarter mile away on the opposite side of the mountain who observed smoke and flames coming from a residence. Fire crews remained on the scene until 8 p.m. to ensure the fire was under control. Hewes highlighted the extensive network of people that came together and thanked everyone involved.
Mutual aid departments were requested for personnel and equipment, including Cummington, Worthington, Huntington, Westhampton, Plainfield and Deerfield, which provided a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). Highland Ambulance was also on scene.
“I would like to recognize Northampton Control and our dispatchers for their outstanding work in coordinating the extensive resources required for this incident,” Hewes wrote. “The Chesterfield Highway Department assisted by sanding roadways and driveways, while the Chesterfield Police Department closed Main Road and safely diverted traffic. The American Red Cross responded to assist two families displaced by the fire. Spruce Corner Restaurant generously provided food for personnel operating on scene. Bisbee Construction supplied an excavator, which was instrumental in overhauling the structure to fully extinguish the fire.”
The Fire Marshal’s office advised people who smoke to use a sturdy ashtray with water or sand to ensure that cigarettes are fully extinguished. Cigarettes and other smoking materials caused about 1,400 fires in Massachusetts last year, the Fire Marshal’s office stated. These fires contributed to 34 injuries to firefighters and civilians, 12 civilian deaths, and $16.7 million in damages.