Fire at Off-Campus Housing Complex in Amherst Displaces Over 200
A massive fire broke out Friday night at an off-campus housing complex in Amherst, displacing around 230 residents, many of them University of Massachusetts Amherst students. Fortunately, officials confirmed that no injuries were reported.
The fire began at a four-story building under construction at 47 Olympia Drive and quickly spread to nearby structures at 57 Olympia Drive due to strong winds and the intensity of the flames. Multiple explosions were heard, believed to have come from fuel tanks at the construction site, and a construction crane collapsed during the blaze.
Firefighters faced severe challenges controlling the fire throughout Saturday. Poor water pressure and ongoing hotspots prevented crews from entering the structure. Fire departments from Hampshire, Hamden, and Franklin counties joined the response efforts after Amherst called for state-level support through the Fire Mobilization Task Force.
“There is no current estimate for the dollar value of the loss,” Amherst Fire Department said.
According to a letter from UMass Amherst to its community, the incident affected multiple buildings and displaced a significant portion of the student population. Both buildings at the site were declared total losses.
Summary
An intense fire in Amherst destroyed two buildings at an off-campus complex, displacing over 200 UMass students but resulting in no injuries, as crews battled challenging conditions.