Massive Apartment Fire Sparks State of Emergency in Amherst
A state of emergency has been declared in Amherst, Massachusetts, after a large fire destroyed an apartment building housing over 200 UMass Amherst students. The blaze broke out at approximately 8:15 p.m. in a four-story building under construction on Olympia Drive.
Fire Details and Response
Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren reported that the building collapsed within 30 minutes, and the fire spread to nearby structures. Efforts to combat the blaze from inside lasted about an hour but were hindered by water supply issues.
"This is actually the biggest fire in Amherst I can think of since the mid-80s," said Stromgren. "It just got up into the attic and ran the length of the building."
More than a dozen fire departments from Hampshire, Hamden, and Franklin counties joined the firefighting efforts, which extended for over 24 hours. Fire officials noted several explosions, likely caused by fuel tanks at the construction site, and a construction crane collapsed during the incident.
Challenges Faced
- Water supply difficulties required tanker trucks from several communities.
- Explosions complicated firefighting operations.
- Long-lasting flames demanded extensive coordination among multiple departments.
The state of emergency declaration enables Amherst to access emergency funds at both state and federal levels to aid recovery efforts.
"We tried for about an hour to fight it from the inside but we had some water supply challenges," Fire Chief Stromgren explained.
Continuous Coverage
Local news outlets, including NBC10 Boston, provided continuous live coverage of the event and its aftermath.
Author's summary: A massive fire devastated a student apartment complex in Amherst, prompting a state of emergency declaration to support extensive firefighting and recovery efforts across multiple communities.
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