Fire Guts Office in Barn

Source: Union-News (Springfield, MA)

Author: GEORGE GRAHAM

WORTHINGTON, MA – Fire departments from at least six hilltowns converged on Old River Road last night to put out a quick-moving barn fire in the rear of the Brookstone House property.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which gutted the office space of The Newborne Co., an upscale baby furnishing company.

The fire was reported to the Worthington fire department at 5:30 p.m. by Robert Bartlett, who had been doing repair work on the roof of a nearby house.

“I saw a little smoke coming out of the ridge (of the barn),” said Bartlett, “Within a half-minute the whole side of the barn was in flames.”

After seeing the smoke, Bartlett said he ran over to notify the occupant of the Brookstone House, Ted Bulow, who then called the Worthington Fire Department.

Bulow is renting the home from Michael Newman, the owner of the house and The Newborne Co. Newman was unavailable for comment last night.

Karyl Stauchowicz, assistant manager of the company, said she did not see anything unusual when she locked up the office at 5 p.m.

“I walked around and turned everything off; I can’t imagine what happened,” said Stauchowicz, who was the last person to leave the barn before the fire started.

Stauchowicz said the barn served only as office space and that the baby furnishings were stored at another location.

By 7 p.m. the barn was a smoldering ruin.

“We have been through worse, we will survive this,” said Stauchowicz as she watched the firefighters begin their mop-up operation.

Worthington Fire Chief Peter Myrick declined comment at the fire scene and was unavailable later.

The cause of the fire or an estimate of the damages incurred to The Newborne Co. was unknown last night.

Fire departments from Chesterfield, Goshen, Peru, Hinsdale and Cummington also participated in extinguishing the blaze.

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