A home under construction on Middle Road in Chilmark caught fire early Wednesday morning, engulfing the property in flames for nearly two hours and prompting an all-out mutual aid response from every Island fire department.

The only fire at the Chilmark volunteer firefighters’ Backyard Bash Wednesday was on the grill, where burger patties and corn on the cob were laid out for hundreds.

Chilmark’s long search for a suitable spot to build a new town fire station could well end up back where it began: where the town hall and firehouse sit side by side.

Chilmark selectmen voted Tuesday to change the job description for town fire chief David Norton. Mr. Norton will now be paid a salary of $65,000; previously the chief received a $37,370 annual stipend.

A roof fire at a Chilmark home was quickly extinguished Wednesday afternoon by up-Island firefighters. The fire broke out during heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Multigenerational clans of Chilmarkers flocked to the field behind the Community Center Wednesday for the volunteer firefighter association’s annual Backyard Bash.

Chilmark selectmen are reevaluating options for land to build a new fire station in light of concerns raised by fire chief David Norton.

Picking up on efforts that began more than a decade ago, a committee in Chilmark is taking another stab at finding a location for a new fire station.

Hundreds of adults and kids flocked to the Chilmark Community Center Wednesday for the town’s annual volunteer firefighter association’s Backyard Bash.

They drive the engines, rescue people, put out fires and know CPR. They have to be prepared for anything — a car under water, a person in cardiac arrest, or a family trapped inside a burning building. Or it could be a false alarm. Meet the Island's call firefighters.