9 people displaced, following fire on Exposition Avenue in West Springfield

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Fire crews responded to a large fire on Exposition Avenue in West Springfield Saturday morning.

Western Mass News spoke with neighbors who said the scene was surreal. But the nine people displaced were offered support from the American Red Cross to get back on their feet.

Dan Williams was woken up early Saturday morning by what he described as a soft explosion.

“So, I got up and I opened my shades and the place was ablaze,” said Williams.

The apartments right across the street from him on Exposition Avenue in West Springfield were engulfed in flames.

“The flames were leaping about 30ft. above the building, it was spreading extremely fast, I mean it started at one end and within 15 minutes it engulfed the whole roof, and you can see it going down into the apartments,” explained Williams.

According to Lt. Tony Spear of the West Springfield Fire Department, they received the first call around 3:20 a.m. where nine people were displaced. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Now, eight units were impacted by the blaze and the building is uninhabitable.

“I feel so sorry for the people in those apartments I don’t know what they’re going to do,” said Williams.

This is where the American Red Cross steps in, fire response supervisor Dorothy Cichonski told Western Mass News they found hotel rooms for those needing them, and finances to help replace items lost in the fire.

“These folks obviously had a really bad morning everything is pretty much destroyed,” said Cichonski. “Our recovery team will be following them going forward for the next several months if they need to have help with replacing items and doing things like that.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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