AMHERST — A fire that began on a kitchen stove at a South Amherst apartment complex Tuesday afternoon caused heavy damage to the dwelling, displaced more than 20 residents in neighboring apartments and killed two dogs, according to the Fire Department.
Assistant Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren said firefighters responded at 1:33 p.m. to Apartment 115 at The Boulders at 188 East Hadley Road.
“The apartment was completely involved when we got there,” Stromgren said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire, which investigators determined began with an unattended pot on the stove and then spread to the cabinets and other parts of the apartment. A tenant was found asleep inside the home during the blaze.
“The smoke detectors did go off and alerted some of the occupants and maintenance,” Stromgren said.
But firefighters had to rouse the sleeping tenant, who complained of smoke inhalation and shortness of breath. He declined to be transported to a hospital for treatment, Stromgren said.
Apart from the two dogs that perished in the fire, no other injuries were reported.
Other apartments sustained minimal damage, but because the power had to be cut to the building they are considered uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. The damage is likely over $50,000, for both the apartment where the blaze started and the damage to the common hallways.
Stromgren said management was able to accommodate many of the affected tenants, while the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Pioneer Valley chapter helped others.
“We have a team on scene and they are assisting the displaced residents,” said Mary Nathan, disaster program manager for the American Red Cross.
More than two dozen Amherst firefighters were on scene for four hours. Hadley firefighters provided mutual aid by covering Amherst fire stations, while Belchertown ambulance provided station coverage and responded to a medical call.
The fire was just a few yards from the property line that separates The Boulders from Southpoint Apartments, and close to a building at Southpoint that was heavily damaged by fire, displacing 68 residents, in August 2014.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.