BERLIN — On Friday, July 10, 2026, at approximately 7:49 a.m., the Nashoba Valley Regional Dispatch Center received multiple 911 calls reporting a structure fire at 136 Central Street.
According to the Berlin Fire & EMS Department, the on-duty Berlin Fire Department crew, which consisted of two firefighter/EMTs, responded to the scene aboard Engine 3.
Automatic mutual aid was dispatched from the Hudson and Boylston fire departments, and an all-department recall was initiated for off-duty firefighters with the Berlin Fire Department.
Engine 3 arrived on scene at about 7:53 a.m. and encountered heavy fire and smoke coming from an approximately 30-foot-by-50-foot barn.
Due to the conditions and the lack of fire hydrants in the area, Berlin Engine 3’s crew immediately requested a second-alarm response, the Berlin Fire & EMS Department reported. Additional mutual aid was provided by the Northborough, Marlborough, Bolton, Boxborough, Harvard, Clinton, Lancaster, Hopkinton, and Southborough fire departments.
Firefighters began an aggressive attack and discovered a fully involved recreational vehicle (RV) camper, with the flames extending to the barn.
According to the Berlin Fire & EMS Department, during suppression operations, the barn’s roof partially collapsed, prompting the immediate evacuation of all personnel from the structure. Firefighters then transitioned to a defensive operation.
With assistance from mutual-aid companies, crews brought the fire under control at approximately 8:16 a.m. The barn and RV camper were both declared total losses.
One firefighter sustained a minor injury during fire suppression operations and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment, the Berlin Fire & EMS Department reported.
The Berlin Police Department, Town of Berlin Building Inspector, and electrical inspector, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the District 8 Fire Investigation Unit also responded to the scene.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the Berlin Fire Department and the District 8 Fire Investigation Unit. The Berlin Fire & EMS Department said there was no indication that the fire was suspicious at this time.
