By Jenn Smith
Berkshire Eagle Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Frozen pipes kept firefighters busy Monday morning, causing disruptions at two local businesses and frustrating homeowners.
“We were kind of swamped,” said Deputy Fire Chief Mark Cancilla.
Cold morning
The morning began with a couple of calls of frozen pipes at residences. Early morning temperatures on Monday were below zero.
Then, just before 11:30 a.m., a frozen sprinkler pipe burst in the Eagle building on Eagle Street. The burst triggered an alarm and the building was evacuated, including patients at Berkshire Endoscopy on the building’s third floor.
Formerly home to The Berkshire Eagle newspaper, the building now contains offices for Berkshire Endoscopy, the state Department of Children and Families, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Veterans Affairs, and Berkshire Family and Individual Resources (BFAIR).
“When we got there, there was water coming out of the first floor and by the loading dock,” said Cancilla.
Firefighters secured the building to ensure the alarm wasn’t triggered by a fire and then proceeded to squeegee the area. Plumbers later arrived to fix the pipe and finish the cleanup.
Another call
Less than half an hour later, at 11:55 a.m., firefighters were called to the Friendly’s Restaurant on Dalton Avenue.
According to Cancilla, a pipe exposed near the exterior of the building leading into the restrooms had frozen and a plumbing service tried to use a device called a kerosene salamander to thaw it out.
But the kerosene-fueled heating device caught fire and caused minor damages.
The city’s Health Department temporarily shut the restaurant down until it could be cleaned up and water service could be restored.
“We’ve had a lot of broken pipes lately because of the cold,” Cancilla said. He said second homes and residences left empty while people are away on business or vacation are most prone to complications with freezing pipes.
Winter tips
He suggested keeping pipes insulated or using anti-freeze in the heating system, particularly if the pipes will not be used for longer periods of time.
The deputy chief said the best way to keep pipes from freezing overnight is to keep the line slightly open.
“Flowing water has a hard time freezing,” he said.
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