More than 220 UMass students displaced due to massive apartment fire

AMHERST, Mass. — A fire at a construction site ignited an apartment complex next door Friday night. 48 hours later, crews are on scene at Olympic Place spraying water down on hot spots to make sure the flames don’t spark once again.

The building was demolished on Sunday because the building was deemed unstable. Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren said it’s the largest fire he’s seen in town since the 1980s. He said at its peak, all of the hoses were churning out around 5,000 gallons a minute.

The chief believes they’ve used more than 2,000,000 gallons of water so far. All that water usage prompted Amherst to declare a state of emergency on Saturday. The order was rescinded on Sunday evening.

Since the fire started next door at the construction site, the chief said they had about ten minutes to pull the fire alarm and warn everyone in the complex to evacuate. He says that is the main reason why nobody was hurt.

More than 220 students lived at the off-campus facility. With just weeks left until finals, these students are now frantically trying to find a place to live for the rest of the year.

“School is kind of on the back burner for this week,” grad student Amanda said. “Housing is just the biggest thing. I’m glad I figured out a hotel on the UMass campus cause I think that will make things a lot easier.”

She said the hotel offered a discounted rate for the rest of the semester.

UMass student Drew Kessler witnessed the flames. His friends lived in Olympia. Kessler said one friend was back home in Eastern Mass trying to figure out their living situation. He knows others who are staying with friends or their significant other.

“They actually signed lease renewals for next year so they’re not sure what they’re going to do for next semester,” Kessler said.

Amanda lost her laptop, AirPods, and other personal items. Others say they lost passports and even student visas.

“I’m glad nobody got hurt. That was such a huge fire,” Amanda said. It’s definitely humbling. I’m just glad everyone is okay, and hopefully we can get back on our feet soon."

Fire investigators will be on scene Monday to determine what sparked the flames Friday night inside the fenced-off construction site. The chief says there is no reason to believe this is suspicious.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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