A fire ignited at a Picard Circle home in Easthampton Tuesday afternoon. The fire originated on the first floor of the home, burned a hole in the exterior siding prior to our arrival and extended up the outside of the building, and burned a hole in the floor creating a drop down fire in the basement.
A fire ignited at a Picard Circle home in Easthampton Tuesday afternoon. The fire originated on the first floor of the home, burned a hole in the exterior siding prior to our arrival and extended up the outside of the building, and burned a hole in the floor creating a drop down fire in the basement. Credit: EASTHAMPTON POLICE

EASTHAMPTON — A Tuesday afternoon fire has resulted in an estimated $100,000 in damage to a Picard Circle home.

A passerby alerted Easthampton Fire Department of the fire at 1:37 p.m. Tuesday.

When firefighters arrived, the fire, which originated in the first-floor living room, had burned a hole through the floor and a hole in the exterior siding, according to Fire Chief Chris Norris.

Firefighters forced entry to ensure that the fire didn’t spread to other areas.

“The embers had fallen through the floor and started a fire in the basement,” Norris said. “Fire personnel performed interior suppression and were able to contain the fire to one corner of the home.”

Easthampton Fire received mutual aid from Southampton and Northampton fire departments, South Hadley Fire District 1 and Barnes Air National Guard.

Investigators from the state Fire Marshal’s office said the fire was caused by a short circuit  in an electrical outlet.

No one was home at the time of the fire. Norris said the resident is staying with family members as the home will need renovations before they can return.

Emily Thurlow was named assistant editor in 2025. She oversees the arts and features pages for the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Greenfield Recorder. She's also the editor of the Valley Advocate. An award-winning...