Copyright The Boston Globe
The fire was reported at Olympia Place just after 8 p.m. on Friday and affected multiple buildings, UMass Amherst said in a letter to the school’s community Saturday. A significant number of students were impacted. The fire initially broke out at a four-story building under construction at 47 Olympia Drive but quickly spread to 57 Olympia Drive due to the intensity of the blaze and the wind, Amherst fire said in a statement. Multiple explosions, likely from fuel tanks on the construction site, were reported and a construction crane collapsed. A “Task Force” was requested from the state fire mobilization network to send additional units to relieve the crews that initially responded to the scene, Amherst fire said. Crews from nearby Hampshire, Hamden and Franklin County responded to provide aid. The building at 47 Olympia Drive collapsed, and both buildings were deemed a total loss. “There is no current estimate for the dollar value of the loss,” Amherst fire said. Firefighters were hampered by poor water pressure in the area, Amherst fire said. The State Fire Marshal’s office deployed a rehab unit to support firefighter health and safety at the scene and an incident support unit to assist the incident commanders, Jake Wark, a spokesman for the State Fire Marshal’s office, said in an email. The fire was under control but still burning as of 7 p.m. Saturday night, Amherst fire said. Fire crews are not able to enter the building because it was unstable and were forced to fight the blaze from the exterior. “Demolition crews are on site tearing down the building so that fire crews can reach the areas that are still burning,” Amherst fire said. State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office are assisting Amherst fire with the investigation into the fire, Wark said. The cause of the fire has not been determined. Preliminary estimates were that 230 residents were displaced by the fire, Amherst fire said. The Red Cross and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency are working with school officials to help those displaced. “A small number of students unable to find emergency housing have been placed in temporary, on-campus residences,” the letter said. Staff from Student Affairs and Campus Life were in the process of identifying and contacting those most directly affected by the fire to provide support on a case-by-case basis, the letter said. Olympia Place residents have immediate access to all dining commons at no cost. “The university is grateful 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,” the letter said.
