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A Camaro caught on fire on Monday afternoon.
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Car Fire Briefly Shuts Down Section of North Street

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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The street was briefly shut down. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters responded to a car fire on Eagle Street at about 4 p.m. Monday.
 
The 1986 Chevrolet Camaro was parked next to Persip Park when it "blew up," according to a passerby. Firefighters swiftly put out the engine fire but the northbound lane of North Street was briefly shut down and traffic redirected.
 
The blaze that started in the engine compartment was small but smokey, with smoke visible looking north from Fenn Street. 
 
Fire Capt. Mitchell Keller said there were some flames, describing it as a "well involved car fire." He estimated it took about 10 minutes to put out. 
 
"The initial response was Engine 6, right here, because Engine 3, the closest engine was was on another call because of the close proximity to headquarters," he said, referring to the Columbus Avenue station. "Our deputy car two and truck company responded to make sure that the car was unoccupied and that there was no people requiring aid. And then they waited for the engine to get here to for fire extinguishment.
 
He said the cause was undetermined but not suspicious. No one was injured in the fire and authorities were trying to track down the owner.  

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Berkshire Museum Explores Ancient Egypt With ‘Soulful Creatures’

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following its multimillion-dollar renovation, the Berkshire Museum is welcoming an exhibition unlike any it has been able to host before.
 
Marking the museum's first major exhibition since its renovation, "Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt," opening Saturday, Oct. 10, thins the veil between the ever-evolving history of Egyptian culture and society and modern day people. 
 
"The most important thing about history is recognizing people from the past as actual people. Ancient Egyptians are no different than us," said William Dore, the museum's chief curator. "They have different cultures and beliefs and different viewpoints, but you can say the same thing about people today."
 
When audiences experience the exhibit, they will see the humanity in the people of the past, which in turn helps them connect with different views and perspectives around the world today, he said. 
 
Combining archeology with modern scientific imaging, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Museum curators Yekaterina Barbash and Edward Bleiberg designed an exhibit that works to uncover the mysteries behind these objects and the beliefs and rituals that surround them. 
 
"I think something that people kind of misunderstand about history is none of it's ever settled. ... History is a science that is constantly questioned,” Dore said. "It only works if everyone's constantly rethinking things, learning new things ... which is for me super exciting because as much as we know a lot about the ancient Egyptians, there's a lot we don't know.”
 
The installation features dozens of artifacts on loan from the Brooklyn Museum that explores the practice of animal mummification and the role animals played in ancient Egyptian religion. 
 
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