Two Buildings at Olympia Place Deemed Total Loss Following Weekend Fire
A massive fire at the Olympia Place apartment complex in Amherst started on the night of Friday, November 7. Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren reported the fire was finally under control by 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, although some parts of the buildings at #47 and #57 Olympia Drive continued burning.
Due to the instability of the buildings, fire crews were unable to enter and fought the remaining flames from outside. Demolition crews worked on-site to tear down sections of the buildings, allowing fire crews to access areas still burning.
The state task force and mutual aid units were released at 4 p.m. on Saturday, but Amherst Fire crews remained on scene with assistance from a ladder truck from Greenfield. Demolition and fire extinguishment are expected to conclude by Sunday morning.
Fire crews will stay on site until the property owners secure the area with a fence.
Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren: "Due to the building being unstable, fire crews are not able to enter the building and continue to work to extinguish the fire from the exterior."
Author's summary: Two apartment buildings at Olympia Place suffered total loss after a fire that took two days to control; demolition and fire suppression efforts continued into Sunday morning.
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