Union-News (Springfield, MA)
Author: NJUBI NESBITT
HATFIELD, MA – A firefighter was injured and a building destroyed by a suspicious fire on Linseed Road about 5 a.m. yesterday, according to fire officials.
Capt. Fred Beckta, of the South Deerfield Fire Department, was injured at the scene while trying to open a window, which broke and cut his hand. He was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where he received stitches and was released.
Hatfield Fire Chief Robert Osepowicz said the fire occurred at G & S Industrial Inc., 2 Linseed Road, which he described as an old, wooden building. The structure was damaged extensively in the fire and condemned by the town building inspector, Osepowicz said. He estimated the fire caused about $100,000 worth of damage. An adjacent building suffered minor damage.
Started from vehicle
“The fire apparently started from a vehicle parked next to a garage near the road and spread to the building, which became totally engulfed,” Osepowicz said.
He said a call for mutual aid was made by his department when Hatfield firefighters got to the scene because the blaze was beyond what their equipment could handle.
Eight pieces of fire apparatus from departments in Whately, Northampton, South Deerfield, Sunderland, Deerfield and Goshen responded to the call and took about an hour to bring the fire under control.
State troopers were also on the scene to help control traffic on Route 5, which was closed till 9 a.m. yesterday to give the firefighters and their equipment a chance to move around freely, according to Trooper Steven Hennigan of the Northampton barracks.
Hennigan said the fire was suspicious and is under investigation by the state fire marshal, who was also at the scene. The fire marshal could not be reached for comment yesterday.