Fire damages ex-chief's home

HOPKINTON — The home of a former Hopkinton-Fort Jackson fire chief was damaged by a blaze Saturday night, and his colleagues are hoping the community will rally to help a man who helped them for decades.

Hopkinton-Fort Jackson firefighters responded about 5:25 p.m. to 2961 Route 11B, owned by Gerald Goldsworth, St. Lawrence County fire officials said. The blaze spread quickly through the two-story house before firefighters knocked it down.

Volunteers from Nicholville, West Stockholm, Parishville, Brasher-Winthrop, Lawrence-ville, Helena and Potsdam assisted at the scene. No injuries were reported.

Hopkinton-Fort Jackson Fire Chief Ronald W. Streeter said investigators were looking at an electrical malfunction as the cause of the fire. No one was home when the fire started.

Mr. Goldsworth, who was named St. Lawrence County Firefighter of the Year in 2000, was celebrating his grandson's birthday in St. Regis Falls when the fire started, Mr. Streeter said. He was honored by the state Legislature in April for his decades of service as a volunteer firefighter.

"He has been an active firefighter for 70 years," Mr. Streeter said.

Mr. Goldsworth's devotion to firefighting began at age 8 when he became a member of the Sayville, Long Island, junior firefighters.

"The whole town was built around the fire department," Mr. Goldsworth said in a March interview. "That's all there was to do. It was the center of everything."

He became a firefighter at age 16 and continued serving his community when he moved to Hopkinton in 1969. His passion for being a firefighter has never wavered, even while volunteering well into his 80s.

"You have a lot of friends in the fire department," Mr. Goldsworth said. "You meet a lot of different people."

Mr. Streeter said he regularly sees Mr. Goldsworth at the fire station, especially during fire calls.

"He's usually the first firefighter at the fire station helping out wherever he can," Mr. Streeter said.

Firefighters were able to save some belongings, including a photograph album.

The Hopkinton-Fort Jackson Fire Department is planning ways to help Mr. Goldsworth. Donations can be mailed to the Hopkinton-Fort Jackson Volunteer Fire Department at 2876 Route 11B, Hopkinton, N.Y. 12965 or made by calling Fire Chief Ronald Streeter at 328-4682 or 328-4968.

Johnson Newspapers contributed to this report.