Friday, April 19, 2013

Fireground: College Street Command

195 College Street, Amherst "single family" home

By the time an Amherst police patrol confirmed "smoke coming from the building" Amherst Fire Department had already committed three engines dispatched in a hurry to 195 College Street after the "box alarm" first sounded around 10:10 PM last night.

Yes, another basement fire. And like the Hobart Lane basement fire last September this one also narrowly missed becoming a tragedy. Especially since the building inspector discovered far more bedrooms than allowed by law.

While it was only a dryer fire, I'm told the machine and all the clothes inside were incinerated with thick smoke filling the entire structure.  Like my six year old daughter, fire loves to climb.

So if it starts at the lowest point possible in a wood frame structure, it's ravenous appetite is all the better served.

Fortunately AFD stopped it in a hurry.  But when the building inspector arrived, as is standard procedure with any structure fire, he found inadequate smoke alarm system and more than twice as many bedrooms as shown on the official town property card (seven vs three).

Kind of makes you wonder why anyone would need seven bedrooms in a single family unit only zoned for four unrelated housemates? 

The house is owned by195 Amherst LLC not to be confused with 197 Amherst LLC or 162 Amherst LLC all three "sold" for $1 each by Sandra Weisman of Brooklyn, NY.  In addition Ms Weisman also sold for $1 162 South East Street with all these transactions dated December 24, 2112. 

Merry Christmas.


Note name of owner






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