ADAMS — The owner of a former factory has been cited for three code violations in connection with a fire that sent a plume of smoke into the town center, canceling classes at two schools and resulting in a public health advisory.
The cause of the fire at MacDermid Graphic Arts the morning of April 16 remains under investigation by the Adams Fire Department, Adams Police and State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office. To date, investigators have determined that the fire began somewhere in the center of the sprawling structure, and there is no evidence that it was intentionally set.
In the meantime, according to a release issued by Adams Fire Chief John M. Pansecchi and State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, investigators have determined that “cutting and grinding metal operations” were taking place inside the sprawling building, in violation of a permit issued to its owners in 2019.
Damage at the shuttered MacDermid Graphic Arts factory in Adams is visible from the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Investigators say it could take a while to determine the cause of the fire.
According to records on file with the secretary of state’s office, John J. Duquette Jr. is the principal of 10 Harmony Street LLC, which owns the 237,000-square-foot industrial building that runs along the Hoosic River and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. The property was purchased for $53,550 in February 2019, according to records on file with the Berkshire Northern Registry of Deeds.
‘Catastrophic’ damage slows efforts to determine what caused Wednesday’s fire at a former Adams factory
A call and text message to Duquette seeking comment was not immediately returned Monday.
According to the statement, “Investigators learned of unsanctioned, unpermitted hot work being performed inside the building. This involved using oxy-acetylene torches to cut metal for scrap. Cutting, grinding, welding, and other hot work requires training, certification, and a permit from the local fire department because of the inherent fire hazard posed by sparks and slag.”
At the time of the fire, Pansecchi said there were no operational sprinkler systems in the building, which formerly housed W.R. Grace, and MacDermid Graphic Arts, both of which manufactured materials for the printing industry.
According to the release, the Division of Fire Services cited the owners on three counts: failing to install an approved lock box at the gate for fire department emergency access; failing to seek a new permit when the building became occupied during unsanctioned work; and failing to obtain a hot work permit for cutting and grinding metal operations within the structure.
Each citation carries a fine of $100. According to the release, because a state compliance officer issued the citations, the office will be available to testify at a hearing and/or appeal on the citations.
Firefighters were dispatched to 10 Harmony St. shortly after 7:30 a.m. on April 16 for a report of smoke coming from the building. Upon finding smoke and flames, first responders immediately requested mutual aid and Northern Berkshire EMS. A second alarm was struck, drawing in more firefighters.
Flames and smoke escape from the former MacDermid Graphics factory on Harmony Street in Adams on April 16. The smoke led to a health advisory and the cancelation of classes at two schools.
In all, firefighters and equipment from Pittsfield, Cheshire, North Adams, Lanesborough, Hinsdale, Dalton, Savoy, and Williamstown responded to help Adams firefighters limit the fire’s spread. That challenge kept crews on scene for 10 hours.
Internal firefighting efforts were immediately ruled out as unsafe, given the building’s condition and its history of work involving chemicals. With debris from the roof feeding the fire burning inside, firefighters used ladder trucks to spray water on the structure from all sides, drawing on hydrants from nearby streets, including Commercial and Center streets. Eventually, heavy equipment was called in to move debris so sections of the building that had collapsed or were unsafe could be removed.
As smoke streamed into downtown Adams, a public safety advisory was issued for people with breathing problems, who were urged to close their windows and stay indoors. Both Hoosac Valley Elementary School and Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter School canceled class for the day, and some students were transported to Hoosac Valley High School or the Adams Visitors Center until family pick-up or rides home could be arranged.
Hazardous materials experts from the Division of Fire Safety tested air quality at the site. They detected elevated levels of formaldehyde, a common product of combustion, immediately adjacent to the fire, but not in concentrations that posed a significant health hazard or downwind of the blaze.
According to the news release, the chemicals MacDermid Graphic Arts and W.R. Grace had formerly used and stored at the site had been removed years ago.
