STOCKBRIDGE â An overnight fire destroyed eight buildings at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac, a private boys camp on Stockbridge Bowl.
There were no injuries among the four camp staffers who were evacuated from the scene and relocated to a local hotel, said Stockbridge Fire Chief Vincent Garofoli. One firefighter was treated and released for a minor injury.
A dozen agencies provided mutual aid to Stockbridge firefighters, Garofoli told The Eagle on Friday morning at the scene.
The fire was reported by passersby and a camp staffer shortly after midnight Friday, and it was declared fully under control by 3 a.m., the chief said. Mop-up operations continued until dawn.
Time Past
I am past president and present honorary member of the Stockbridge Bowl Association.
The SBA was founded in 1947 by Anson Phelps Stokes. Its mission statement was and has remained âto preserve and protect the Stockbridge Bowl.â Now 73 years later, the SBA board and its 350 members strive to fulfill this mission.
A Stockbridge selectman once said: âThe commonwealth of Massachusetts owns Stockbridge Bowl, and the town owns its problems.â For decades, the SBA has worked with the town to solve the lakeâs âproblems.â It is our hope to continue working with the town.
I literally grew up at the lake and well remember when we could paddle kayaks under the causeway into Lily Brook holding pond. The pond was filled with fish, and the beavers also ventured there to the dismay of the fishermen. It is now partially filled with sediment and becoming a vegetation wetland. As such, it is beyond the townâs control to remediate. The remainder of th