Downtown Fire Leaves Two Dozen Without Housing
Amherst Fire Department responded on May 11, 2025 to a fire at the rear of 69 South Pleasant Street. Photo: amherstma.gov
Source: Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren
The Amherst Fire Department responded to a 911 call from a resident of #69 South Pleasant Street on Sunday May 11 at 4:11 p.m., reporting a fire on the fourth floor rear porch. A box alarm was sounded for all on and off-duty Amherst firefighters. First arriving crews found heavy smoke coming from the fourth floor enclosed porch on the rear of the building. Due to the older construction of the building the fire quickly spread down to the third floor porch, and up to a void space below the roof, and horizontally across and into the back of the building. A second alarm was sounded. Crews worked to extinguish the fire from the inside, and a ladder truck was used to extinguish the fire on the porches, and to access the roof to extinguish the fire there. The fire was declared under control after about two hours, but crews remained on scene until 9 p.m. searching for and extinguishing hot spots.
The building houses a number of businesses on the first floor, and apartments on the upper three floors. At the time of the fire, nine apartments were rented to two dozen residents, mostly college students, most of whom were home at the time of the fire. Electricity, and gas were shutoff to the building during the fire. The building sustained significant fire damage to the rear of the building, mostly to the upper floors where the apartments are located, and is currently uninhabitable. Electricity was restored to the businesses after the fire. The Amherst building and electrical inspectors were on scene, and are working with the building and business owners, also on scene, to work out at a plan for when the businesses can reopen. The apartments will be uninhabitable for an unknown duration. The Red Cross was on scene and is assisting residents with finding housing for the night.
Amherst Firefighters were assisted on scene by Belchertown Fire, Hadley Fire, Northampton Fire, and a Granby Fire ambulance, and the Pelham Fire Department provided station coverage at the Central Fire Station. A firefighter Rehab unit was also on scene staffed by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. There were no injuries.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Amherst Fire and Police Departments, and the State fire Marshall’s office.
