A state of emergency has been declared in Amherst, Massachusetts, following the massive fire that destroyed a building housing more than 200 UMass-Amherst students.

The declaration, which ensures the town has access to any emergency state or federal funds that may be available, was made due to the apartment complex blaze on Olympia Drive, where firefighters remained at the scene more than 24 hours after flames first broke out around 8:15 p.m. Friday.

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Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren says the fire started in a four-story building that was under construction. Within 30 minutes, it collapsed and spread to other buildings.

"This is actually the biggest fire in Amherst I can think of since the mid-80s," Stromgre

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