Massive fire at Amherst apartment complex displaces more than 200, including many UMass students

Firefighters from around western Massachusetts spent days on the scene fire that destroyed an Amherst apartment complex that provided off-campus housing to many University of Massachusetts students.

More than 200 people were displaced, but town and school officials say no injuries were reported in the blaze that began Friday night.

The fire, near the UMass campus, destroyed the apartment complex at 57 Olympia Drive. A building under construction on Olympia Drive was also destroyed in the blaze.

Olympia Place is a private, off-campus apartment complex housing a significant number of students.

Amherst Fire Department officials are calling the blaze "one of the largest fires our community has seen."

According to a press release from early Saturday morning, “one four story building that was under construction has collapsed and other buildings nearby are still burning, and have partially collapsed. The fire attack has been hampered by poor water pressure in the area.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"Crews worked tirelessly through the night — with help from our mutual aid partners — to stop the spread and protect lives," the Amherst Fire Department said in a message on social media.

"Despite being understaffed and stretched thin, their dedication and teamwork prevented what could have been a devastating loss of life," the department said, adding that the incident was a reminder of the challenges the department faces and the importance of strong staffing.

Additional dispatchers were called in to handle the volume of calls and numerous requests for mutual aid from towns around the region.

A task force was requested from the Massachusetts fire mobilization network to send additional units to the fire scene to relieve the crews that had been on scene since the fire was first reported.

More than 1 million gallons of water have been used so far in the fire fighting efforts, according to town officials. They say it will take days to recover the town's water levels.

Due to the ongoing fires, the town declared a state of emergency which Bockelman said will ensure the town will have access to any emergency state or federal funds that may be available to displaced residents, property owners and the town of Amherst, Bockelman said.

"We are grateful that no injuries have been reported," Bockelman said. " Preliminary estimates are that 232 residents — mostly students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst — are displaced.

He added that the property owner has been "cooperative and highly responsive," and UMass is providing support to displaced residents.

In a message Saturday to UMass Amherst faculty and course instructors, Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the Dean of Students Office has been coordinating closely with emergency response agencies, including the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross to provide support.

"The affected students, many of whom have lost their belongings, including laptops and course material, will require academic accommodations as they recover from the fire," Abd-El-Khalick said in a message to the community. "I ask that you provide these accommodations and work with your students in the coming days to give them the space, support, and time they need."

While the longer term effects of the fire are unclear, school officials said, staff are in the process of identifying and contacting those most directly affected by the fire to provide support on a case-by-case basis.

A number of students unable to find emergency housing have been placed in temporary, on-campus residences, university officials said.

Olympia Place residents have immediate access to all dining commons on campus, at no cost, the university said.

An on-campus emergency resource center opened Saturday to centralize critical student needs including housing, medication, clothing, academic accommodations and counseling.

Public updates and resident resources will be added here throughout the coming days and weeks.

The university expressed its gratitude for the support of the multiple agencies that have responded to this tragedy, especially those first responders from the surrounding communities who answered mutual aid calls.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New England Public Media.