Amherst Fire Displaces 230 People, Spreads to Multiple Buildings
A significant fire broke out on Olympia Drive in Amherst on Friday night, engulfing a five-story apartment complex and a nearby construction site. The blaze started shortly after 8 p.m. and took almost 24 hours to bring under control.
Firefighting Efforts and Impact
Firefighters from across the region responded to the incident reported at 8:19 p.m. on Friday. They worked extensively through Saturday to contain the fire. Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren announced around 7 p.m. on Saturday that the fire was under control.
"Fire crews were not able to enter the unstable building and were expected to continue to extinguish the fire from the exterior while demolition crews tore down the structure."
The demolition work was planned to be completed by Sunday morning.
Consequences and Precautions
- About 230 residents were displaced by the destruction of the apartment complex.
- No injuries were reported during the incident.
- The cause of the fire is under investigation but is not considered suspicious.
- The town declared a state of emergency on Saturday afternoon.
- Residents were urged to limit nonessential water use to conserve resources for firefighting.
- More than 1 million gallons of water had been used by 6 p.m. Saturday.
The fire destroyed the apartment complex and spread from a neighboring building's construction site where it began.
Summary: The Amherst fire displaced 230 people and required extensive firefighting efforts over nearly 24 hours, with no injuries reported and investigation ongoing.
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