Latest news with #JakeWark
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Chicopee woman charged with arson following Belcher Street fire
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – A Chicopee woman was arrested and charged in connection with a three-alarm fire that left a dozen residents without a home on Sunday. Department of Fire Services Public Information Officer Jake Wark stated in a news release that Chicopee fire crews responded to 26 Belcher Street after 3:30 a.m. on Sunday for reports of a structure fire. Firefighters found the three-story, multi-family home in flames. Residents of ten units without home following Chicopee fire Chicopee crews were able to assist in evacuating all residents, as well as rescuing two pets Sunday morning. A third pet was rescued from the building on Monday after neighbors noticed it in a third-floor window. Firefighters worked to put out the fire for over two hours, with the building sustaining severe fire, smoke, and water damage as a result. State and local fire officials began investigating the cause of the fire and determined that it had begun in a second-floor bathroom. Investigators found through evidence and witness interviews that the fire had been intentionally set. Chicopee and state police officers identified 40-year-old Michelle Hall of Chicopee as a suspect connected to the fire. Hall had allegedly been involved in an altercation at the building before the fire took place. She was arrested Sunday evening and charged with arson. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
GoFundMe campaign made to help Mass. family after man dies, fire destroys home
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help a Millbury woman and her family after her husband died last week and a fire consumed their home, rendering it a total loss. At around 11 p.m. on April 17, firefighters battled a fire at a home on 3 Fink Road, the Telegram & Gazette reported. Crews fought the fire until early the following morning, Jake Wark, spokesman for the Office of the State Fire Marshal, told the Telegram. 'The fire caused catastrophic damage to the home and the exact point of origin remains undetermined,' Wark told MassLive. 'One person, a man in his 60s, was located deceased at the scene and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of his death.' The man was identified by his family to the Telegram as Wayne W. Wunschel. The online fundraiser was set up by Wunschel's stepson, Michael Woodbury, the Telegram wrote. '[My mother] Karen Wunschel lost everything when her home caught fire, including her significant other,' Woodbury wrote on GoFundMe. 'And in one horrifying moment, her world was turned upside down. She is now left with nothing, no home, no belongings and a heart full of grief." 'She didn't just lose the roof over her head, she lost the memories, the safety, the foundation of everything she had worked for and now she has to start over from scratch while trying to process a trauma no one ever should have to endure,' Woodbury continued. The campaign was set up with a $10,000 goal to pay for the 'immediate needs [such as] clothing, shelter, food, and the process of rebuilding her life,' Woodbury wrote. So far, the fundraiser has received $1,440 from 23 donations. This includes one donation of $200, seven donations of $100 and two $50 donations, among others. 'Anything you can give, no matter how small, will help her know she's not alone,' Woodbury's statement concluded. GoFundMe pulls fake campaign for Mass. teen killed in Florida crash GoFundMe made for family of Topsfield mother who died at Purgatory Chasm GoFundMe created for family of motorcyclist killed in Walpole crash with SUV
Boston Globe
10-04-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Mass. fire departments share more than $3 million in state grants
The grants are allocated based on each department's need and the size of the population it serves, according to Jake Wark, spokesperson for the state fire marshal's office. Advertisement Boston received $23,860 from the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant—second only to Lynn's award of $24,990. Lynn will use the money to purchase new protective gear, according to chief Daniel Sullivan. He described the investment as 'crucial,' adding that the department's current gear contains polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS—harmful chemicals linked to cancer that become more dangerous with repeated use. 'The new coats we've selected are PFAS-free,' Sullivan wrote Wednesday in an email to the Globe. 'As Fire Chief, it is my responsibility to ensure the department has the resources needed to complete their tasks safely and return home to their families.' Another $1.6 million has been allocated through the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE Grant programs. These initiatives support fire departments in delivering fire and life safety education to kids and senior citizens. Advertisement The Shelburne Fire District, part of a regional group with five other departments in Franklin County, received the highest awards in both the SAFE and Senior SAFE categories, amounting to $13,000 and $9,000 respectively. 'State funding for these programs is vital and allows us to do more visitations, outreach, and safety equipment installations than we could do on our own,' said Shelburne fire chief John Taylor in an email to the Globe. 'Our SAFE goals are to visit every Pre-K through 6th grade classroom at least once per year, and some twice or more," Taylor said. The Senior SAFE grant will fund similar education efforts and provide in-home safety upgrades, including smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, to older residents. Other major recipients of the SAFE grant were Cambridge, Fall River, Quincy, and Worcester, each awarded $10,200 for children's fire safety education. Belchertown, Wilbraham, and Manchester-by-the-Sea were awarded significant funds under the Senior SAFE program. Rita Chandler can be reached at
Boston Globe
15-03-2025
- Boston Globe
2-alarm fire breaks out at Market Basket in Gloucester
Details of the fire were not released. A spokesperson for Market Basket, a Tewksbury-based supermarket chain, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The fire was out by 9 p.m., but 'the Gloucester Fire Department and its mutual aid partners request that people avoid the area as operations continue,' the statement said. The fire is under investigation, the statement said. Advertisement State Police and fire investigators assigned to the state fire marshal's office will assist Gloucester officials, said Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the office. This breaking news story will be updated if more information becomes available. Adam Sennott can be reached at
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
4-year-old dead, two injured in North Adams house fire
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (WWLP) – A fire Tuesday night in North Adams killed one child and left two others badly injured. Chicopee fire leaves one dead, seven without home Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Spokesperson Jake Wark told 22News that the fire began at a duplex at 11:46 p.m. on West Shaft Road. When firefighters arrived, the two story house was fully in flames. The Berkshire District Attorney's Office states that that both sides of the duplex were occupied during the fire. One side of the duplex had one person inside, who was able to leave the house with minor injuries. The other side of the duplex contained a family of five. Four people were able to successfully leave the duplex, while a fifth person was located inside after firefighters arrived. An adult and a minor received serious injuries, while two other members of the family, an adult and a minor, sustained minor injuries. One four-year old child died inside the duplex. The identities of those injured and the child have not yet been released. Everyone injured was sent to North Adams Regional Hospital. The two people who received serious injuries were flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Mutual aid from Clarksburg and Williamstown was requested to help out out the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the North Adams Fire Department, North Adams Police Department, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and State Police assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's office. They are being assisted by the Department of Fire Services' Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit. 'On behalf of the North Adams Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the family that lost a loved one and their home,' said North Adams Fire Chief Brent M. Lefebvre. 'This is a terrible loss for them and our community.' 22News will update this story as soon as more information becomes available. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
