First Due Working Structure Fire

On Thursday, November 27, 2025, at 4:14 PM, the Sandisfield Fire Department was dispatched to 153 New Hartford Road for a reported structure fire. While responding, Car 26 observed a large smoke column from New Hartford Road and immediately struck a working fire assignment. Squad 26 arrived at 4:21 PM to find a two-story, 900-square-foot barn fully involved with fire showing from all sides and portions of the roof already failing.

A 360-degree assessment identified two major problems: a guest house on the south side, roughly 50 feet from the barn and exposed to heavy radiant heat and embers, and a rapidly growing brush fire on the north side spreading across an open field due to increasing winds. Crews stretched a 1 3/4-inch handline for initial attack, but the extent of the fire required an immediate transition to defensive operations. Firefighters focused on protecting the guest house, keeping it cooled and preventing ignition, while additional personnel worked quickly to contain the brush fire using water extinguishers and hand tools until a more reliable water source could be established.

A sustained water supply was secured when the third-due engine accessed a pond at the intersection of New Hartford Road and South Sandisfield Road and successfully established a draft. Tankers began shuttling water from the fill site, enabling firefighters to deploy additional handlines, a 2 1/2-inch line, and a master stream to knock down the heaviest fire.

Firefighters from Sandisfield and eight mutual-aid departments worked for approximately three hours to bring the fire under control. Their coordinated efforts prevented the guest house from igniting, limiting it to minor heat damage, and stopped the brush fire before it spread into additional vegetation or structures. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. The barn was determined to be a total loss.

The fire remains under investigation by the Sandisfield Fire Department and the Massachusetts State Police Fire Investigation Unit. Updates will be provided as they become available.

For further information, please contact Fire Chief Michael Grillo at firechief@sandisfieldma.gov

 or 413-717-8393.