Fire Called Accidental

Source: Union-News (Springfield, MA)
 
GOSHEN, MA – Fire Chief Francis Dresser says the blaze which badly damaged a Pond Hill Road home Saturday probably was accidental and most likely began in a shed to the rear of the house. “I see no suspicion of arson,” Dresser said yesterday.

But Dresser said he will not reveal the cause of the fire until he has met with an insurance adjuster at the site today.

The home belongs to Barbara Richardson, 80, who Dresser said was not at home when the fire began at 3:13 p.m. About 35 firefighters from Goshen, Williamsburg, and Chesterfield, as well as a few others from neighboring towns, fought the blaze until about 6:40 p.m., when the last unit left the site.

Dresser said the home is not livable even though its main structure remains.

Carla Abbott of Goshen, Richardson’s granddaughter, said her grandmother, who is staying with her, appears to be handling the situation well, even though most of her belongings were lost in the fire. “She’s doing fine,” Abbott said. Abbott said Richardson also has several children who live in the area.