AMHERST — One resident was badly burned and 20 others were left homeless by a fire at 285 Main St. early Sunday morning.
Fire Chief Tim Nelson described the fire as a “nightmare scenario” — college students in a multi-floor building, with a fire breaking out in the dead of night.
“In a college town, we have a lot of these buildings, so for me that’s one of the things that wakes me up at night,” Nelson said. “Luckily the smoke detectors worked: they alerted us to a fire.”
Nelson said that when crews arrived on scene, there was heavy fire coming out of the third-story windows of the six-unit building. Most of the tenants had left the building, but as firefighters searched through the apartments they discovered somebody who hadn’t made it out in time.
“While they were crawling through the apartment, one of the guys hears a moan or a groan,” Nelson said. “There’s a back bedroom, and there’s a victim there, he’s down on the floor.”
Nelson has not identified the victim, who was the only tenant injured.
The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with second- and third-degree burns and smoke inhalation, Nelson said.
The victim was soon transferred to the Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital. Nelson said his burns were substantial.
Nelson said he spoke to the man’s father Monday. The father told Nelson that his son is already making progress at the burn center at Bridgeport Hospital, including the removal of a ventilator to help him breathe. But Nelson said the victim’s recovery will be a long one.
“He’s going to be in for a long, tough road in terms of rehab,” he said.
Investigators remain on the scene but still have not identified the cause, which Nelson said may be determined later this week. “My guess is within a day or so,” he said.
Tenants were able to go back into the building Sunday afternoon, with many retrieving whatever belongings were salvageable. The tenants were all University of Massachusetts students, most of them seniors. In a statement, the university said it was offering them free campus housing for the balance of the semester, meal plan assistance and academic support.
Char marks were visible on the third story of the building, owned by Jones Properties. The six-unit building will need some repairs and cleanup.
“Structurally it’s sound, but it’s a mess right now,” Nelson said.
