Pittsfield Launches A Public Survey

08:05AM / Thursday, January 08, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield is seeking public input through a new community survey focused on community interaction and the use of technology specifically related to the Department of Public Works (DPW).

The city is currently engaged in a project with the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management at UMass Boston designed to review DPW's current organizational structure and operations. Part of this process includes a review of the use of technology, especially public-facing tools such as PittSMART and the city's website www.pittsfieldma.gov.

The project also focuses on overall communications and information sharing by DPW with members of the public.

The DPW is responsible for essential public services like road maintenance, snow removal, water quality, wastewater management and park maintenance.

The Department of Public Works and is asking members of the public to answer a short series of questions on this topic.

This short survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. The survey will be available online using this direct link until Friday, Jan. 23.

The feedback will be confidential.

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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive.

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour.

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children. The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation. One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue.

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out.

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release.

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