Crews Battle Massive Fire in Amherst
On Friday evening, several fire departments from the Amherst area responded to a large blaze on Olympia Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts. The fire quickly consumed a building under construction and spread to nearby structures.
According to local reports, about 230 people, mostly students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, lost their homes due to the incident. Western Mass News was first at the scene, observing the massive fire and speaking with onlookers as crews battled the flames.
“Olympia Place residents have immediate access to all dining commons at no cost, and an on-campus emergency resource center will be opened at noon today to centralize critical student needs including housing, medication, clothing, academic accommodations, counseling, and more. Student residents of Olympia Place will be contacted directly this morning with the location of the emergency resource center; we ask that only residents of Olympia Place use this space out of respect for the needs of those most directly affected,”
Emergency calls began around 8:00 p.m. when the building caught fire. By the time officials arrived, flames had already overtaken the structure. Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions and glass breaking, later confirmed to have been caused by fuel tanks stored at the construction site. The blasts even caused a construction crane to collapse.
Author’s Summary
A devastating fire in Amherst displaced over 200 students and destroyed several buildings, prompting swift emergency response and university support efforts.