Junkyard Fire In North Adams Determined To Be Accidental After several days, it has been determined that the large fire that took place at George Apkin & Sons junkyard back on May 25 was accidental. Mass.gov reports that according to North Adams Fire Chief Brent M. Lefebvre and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, the fire at the George Apkin & Sons junkyard in North Adams on Tuesday, May 25, was started as a result of heavy equipment being used on cars that still had gasoline inside their tanks. Gasoline vapors were determined to be the cause of the fire. The operation was routine in terms of what the junkyard does daily.