Faced with a staffing shortage that has resulted in part from the Island housing crisis, the Edgartown fire and emergency services department is holding two recruitment sessions in the next two weeks in the hopes of refilling its ranks.

In a ceremony held Sunday, seven members of the Edgartown fire department officially graduated from a two-part intensive state training course, bulking up the Island’s growing firefighting cohort.

Edgartown leaders acknowledged the contributions of former fire chief Antone A. (Tony) Bettencourt, who died Tuesday at the age of 78.

Edgartown firefighters responded to a fire at the Harbor View Hotel in frigid conditions late Wednesday evening and found a stubborn blaze.

Fifteen volunteer firefighters from Edgartown and Tisbury graduated on Wednesday evening from an accelerated firefighter 1 and 2 course. The graduation ceremony was held at the Edgartown school.

Edgartown firefighters responded Wednesday afternoon to reports of smoke and a chimney fire at the Kelley House.

I am the moderator of the Federated Church and would like to thank the Edgartown fire and police departments for their prompt attention to a potentially dangerous situation that arose in our church recently. While the Martha’s Vineyard Museum was preparing for their annual meeting in our Meetinghouse late Monday afternoon, the fire alarms went off. The Edgartown police and fire personnel showed up promptly to assess the situation and make sure there was no fire hazard. The fire personnel inspected every corner of the Meetinghouse and Parish House and found nothing amiss.

John Goncalves is the youngest member of the Edgartown fire department and a Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship recipient.

An early morning fire caused heavy damage to a home on Pilgrim Road in Edgartown Saturday and left three people with minor injuries, including two firefighters.

Edgartown firefighters quickly put out a fire in a guest house off Clevelandtown Road Sunday afternoon.