Amherst Fire Displaces 230 People and Spreads to Multiple Buildings
A large fire broke out on Olympia Drive in Amherst on Friday night, quickly engulfing a five-story apartment building home to approximately 230 residents. The blaze also spread to a nearby construction site where it initially started around 8 p.m.
Firefighters from across the region battled the flames for nearly 24 hours. The fire was first reported at 8:19 p.m. on Friday and continued through most of Saturday. Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren announced that the fire was finally brought under control by around 7 p.m. on Saturday.
"Fire crews were not able to enter the unstable building and were expected to continue extinguishing the fire from the exterior while demolition crews tore down the structure."
The demolition to remove the compromised building was scheduled to finish by Sunday morning. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries from the incident.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation but is not considered suspicious. On Saturday afternoon, the town declared a state of emergency and urged residents to conserve water by avoiding nonessential use, as firefighting efforts had already consumed over one million gallons of water by 6 p.m.
Summary
The massive fire in Amherst destroyed a residential complex and nearby construction site, displacing hundreds but causing no injuries, with ongoing efforts to safely demolish the unstable structure.
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