AMHERST — A South Amherst apartment was left uninhabitable after a fire caused extensive damage Thursday morning, according to the Amherst Fire Department.
Firefighters responded at 9:59 a.m. to the 911 call from maintenance personnel at Butternut Farm, 12 Longmeadow Drive. Those responding encountered heavy smoke on the second floor of the three-story building, with no one home at the time.
A fire engine soon arrived to attack the fire, discovering a fire burning in a bedroom closet and contained mostly to that room, due to an automatic sprinkler.
Crews extinguished the fire and ventilated the building, causing some water and smoke damage to the rest of the apartment, as well as a minor amount of damage to neighboring apartments.
Both the building and electrical inspectors have determined the apartment is not habitable and property management is providing housing to the occupants elsewhere.
Within two hours, all other tenants were able to return to the homes.
No one was injured and the cause was determined to be an electrical malfunction.
Firefighters on scene were assisted by Amherst Police and the town’s Community Responders for Equity, Safety & Service. With firefighter/ paramedics unable to handle ambulance calls, Hadley Fire Department and Northampton Fire Department were in town for ambulance service unrelated to the fire.