ORANGE — One person is dead from a fire at a West Main Street home Friday morning, according to Orange Fire Chief James Young.
Another person was sent to Athol Hospital, conscious and alert, with injuries from the fire.
Officials declined to identify the victims at press time.
When fire crews arrived at 43 West Main St., just a block from the center of town, just after 8 a.m., they saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the 1½-story, white, wood-frame house. The fire was coming from the first floor and worked its way up, Young said.
After about two hours of work, several fire crews continued to work to put out pockets of fire on the chilly morning that saw one of the first overnight frosts of the season.
The home, which was built in 1850 and was assessed at about $63,000 by the Orange building inspector, was essentially destroyed by the fire.
Sitting next to this home is the boarded up a 39 West Main St. building, which suffered a fire this past March.
Several fire departments went to the fire, including from Orange, Athol, Warwick, Royalston, Greenfield, Turners Falls, New Salem and Northfield. Shutesbury Fire Department assisted. Wood’s Ambulance brought the innjured person to the hospital. Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office were expected to be called in.
West Main Street was closed off from the Honest Weight Brewery toward the center of town, with billowing smoke that could be seen down Route 2A, heading into town. The street was closed for most of the morning, with a detour rerouting incoming traffic from Route 2A.