17A-287 City of Northampton
Massachusetts
DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTIONS
212 Main Street • Municipal Building
' Northampton, MA 01060
Rick Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald, Inc. Fences
344 Bridge Road
Florence, MA 01062
January 7, 2016
re: Fire in outbuilding
17A-287
Dear Mr. Fitzgerald,
At the request of the Northampton Fire Department, I inspected the outbuildings on your
property at 344 Bridge Road following a fire at that location on January 4, 2016. The fire was caused by
defective wiring in the smaller outbuildings.
The electrical service, fuse panel and wiring in the two smaller buildings are in poor condition. It
is clear that work was done without a permit and in violation of the electrical code. This wiring poses a
serious safety hazard. I hereby order that all wiring in the 2 smaller outbuildings be removed within 7
days. The wiring between the main workshop and the smaller buildings must also be completely
removed. The work must be done by a licensed electrician and the electrician must obtain a permit.
There are also numerous code violations in the main workshop, and evidence of work done
without a permit. A number of hazardous conditions exist in the building. A licensed electrician must
inspect the building wiring and discuss the results of his inspection with me to decide what needs to be
corrected. The electrician must obtain a permit, perform an inspection and contact me within 30 days.
This letter shall serve as notification in accordance with the Massachusetts Electrical Code
527CMR 12, Rule#4 and Massachusetts General Law chapter 166, sections 32 and 33. Failure to
comply with this order will result in further enforcement action.
You may appeal this order to the Board of Electricians'Appeals in accordance with M.G.L. c.
143, § 3P.
Respectfully,
Roger Malo
Inspector of Wires
City of Northampton
rmalo(a-)_northamptonma.gov
cc Northampton Fire Department