Amherst Fire Displaces 230 Residents and Destroys Multiple Buildings
On Friday night, a major fire broke out on Olympia Drive in Amherst, originating at a nearby construction site shortly after 8 p.m. The blaze quickly spread and engulfed a five-story apartment complex housing about 230 people.
Firefighters from across the region worked tirelessly for nearly 24 hours to control the fire. The initial report came in at 8:19 p.m. Friday, and the fire was declared under control around 7 p.m. Saturday by Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren.
Firefighting Efforts and Safety Concerns
Chief Stromgren explained that crews could not enter the building due to its unsafe condition. Instead, firefighters continued to extinguish the flames from outside while demolition teams began tearing down the damaged structure. This demolition was expected to finish by Sunday morning.
"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." — Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but is not considered suspicious at this time.
Community Response and Water Usage
Due to the scale of the incident, Amherst declared a state of emergency Saturday afternoon. Officials urged residents to limit water use to ensure sufficient supply for firefighting.
By 6 p.m. Saturday, firefighters had used over one million gallons of water to combat the blaze.
Summary
The devastating fire in Amherst displaced 230 people and required extensive efforts from firefighters, who battled the flames while demolition crews safely dismantled the hazardous structure.