Eight Westfield State University students were displaced early yesterday morning when a fire erupted about 2 a.m. at their off-campus house on Church Street.
City firefighters responded to the fire reported by a resident of one of the three affected apartments at 42 Church Street shortly at 1:55 a.m. and report that they arrived to find heavy flames coming from the second and third floor rear porches. Deputy Fire Chief James Kane reports bystanders and neighbors advised that all the occupants had evacuated the building.
He reports that the bulk of the flames were knocked down by firefighters using a two and a half inch hose before they advanced with hand lines.
State Trooper Michael Mazza, an investigator assigned to the state fire marshal’s office, responded to the blaze and said later Friday morning that his investigation is incomplete but he believes the fire began on a second floor back porch.
He said that, although there are still possibilities which have to be ruled out, he does not immediately consider the fire to be suspicious.
“There are some suspicious circumstances we’re working around” he said “but by no means am I calling it a set fire.”
WSU officials sent a van to the site so the displaced students would have a place to stay warm as they waited to be allowed into the house to recover personal property.
Molly Watson, a WSU spokeswoman, said that eight students – “five boys and three girls” – had lived at 42 Church St. but none were injured in the fire.
“The students are safe and unharmed and we’re going to be providing them with housing for the rest of the semester” she said.
She pointed out that graduation is not far away, on May 19, so the students will not be in temporary quarters for long.
