Historic Egremont Inn in Berkshires burns down

EGREMONT, Mass. -- A five-alarm fire has destroyed a nearly 230-year-old inn in the Berkshires, but there were no reports of injuries.

Egremont Board of Selectman Chairman Bruce Cumsky says the fire at the Egremont Inn was first reported just before 5 a.m. on Friday, and by the time he arrived on the scene at 5:30 the three-story, wooden building was fully engulfed.

He says 80 firefighters from nine departments, including some from Connecticut and New York, battled the blaze.

He says there were no guests or employees inside at the time.

State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan says his office is investigating, but it is too early to determine the cause.

Egremont is about 140 miles west of Boston on the New York border.

------

On the Web: Egremont Inn, http://www.egremontinn.com/index.html 

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)