Springfield planned to begin demolition of the properties next week but the recent fires caused that schedule to be moved up, officials said.
The is an update of a story posted at 1:41 p.m. Monday
SPRINGFIELD — Fire swept through a vacant apartment complex on Locust Street on Monday, marking the third fire on the same block in less than a week, and city officials are moving to begin an emergency demolition of the site by as early as Tuesday, according to officials.
The latest fire was reported at 244-252 Locust St. shortly before 12:45 p.m. Monday, and flames quickly swept through the building. More than an hour after the fire was reported, heavy smoke continued to rise and flames could be seen in various areas of the building.
“It’s probably going to burn through the night,” said Dennis Leger, spokesman for acting Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.
There was a partial collapse in the rear of the building.
“The roof is gone (and) the top floors are caved in,” he said. “It’s had it.”
The same building caught fire on Sunday. An identical apartment complex next door at 258-266 Locust St., was the scene of a major fire Jan. 15.
Steven T. Desilets, the city’s code enforcement commissioner, said the city has ordered the immediate demolition of both 244-252 and 258-266 Locust St. due to extensive damage and safety hazards.
The Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad determined that Sunday’s fire that started in the same general area as Monday’s fire was deliberately set.
Leger said there have been signs that vagrants have been living inside. He said he was not aware of any injuries.
Leger said the cold weather might make the fire scene hazardous. “At some point, temperatures might be a problem with slipping and falling,” he said.
The city Department of Public Works was notified to send sanders to the area because water runoff from the fire was freezing and making footing treacherous. A section of Locust Street was closed as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
Because both buildings were previously condemned, firefighters have been combating the fire without going inside either. Each is considered too dangerous to enter.
Leger said fire crews would likely be on scene throughout the night.
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Twin apartment buildings, 244-252 Locust and 258-266 Locust st., are shown here in 2010 shortly after each was condemned for numerous health, fire and building violations. The buildings have been the scene of three fires in less than a week, and the city says each will be torn down for safety reasons.
The two properties, 244-252 Locust and 258-266 Locust St., have the same owners, Riverview Apartments LLC of Swampscott.
Both properties were condemned by the city in 2010, but were considered a problem long before that, with frequent drug arrests and reports of unsanitary conditions.
Numerous violations in the health, building and fire safety codes led to their being boarded up.
In 2011, the city sought state Housing Court permission to demolish the two apartment buildings, saying the sites worsened in the year after they were condemned. Inspectors found evidence of trespassing and drug use at the site.
In the wake of one of last week's fires, city officials said they had been working with California-based City National Bank, listed as a mortgagee in possession of the properties, to negotiate reimbursement for demolition costs, which are expected to be around $200,000 per building.
Desilets said 244-252 Locust St. will be razed first because structural damage from Monday’s fire makes it the biggest safety hazard. The demolition of 258-266 Locust St. will proceed immediately afterward.
Demolition was scheduled to begin as soon as next week, but in response to the fires, the city was able to move the start up a week.
Charlie Arment Trucking Inc., of Springfield, has been hired for the demolition work, Desilets said
Lisa DeSousa, assistant city solicitor, said the bank had agreed in advance of the fires to cover the cost of demolition of both Locust Street buildings. The properties have continued to have problems since both were condemned in 2010 including illegal dumping, break-ins and vandalism, she said.
DeSousa said the demolition has not occurred sooner because of numerous properties that have been on the city’s priority list including buildings that were damaged by the June 1, 2011 tornado, and the problem of contractors used by the city being tied up with projects.
Reporters George Graham, Peter Goonan and Patrick Johnson contributed to this report.
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