Three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, according to deputy fire chief James Kane.
WESTFIELD — A fire reported around 10 p.m. on Monday at a municipal housing complex for the elderly was extinguished fairly quickly considering the size of the 4-story structure, Fire Department deputy chief James Kane said Tuesday.
"They knocked it down pretty quick," Kane said of the blaze at 16 Washington St., which didn't produce any serious injuries and required mutual aid from other area departments. Three tenants were hospitalized for treatment of smoke inhalation.
Washington House, a 112-unit building, is owned by the Westfield Housing Authority and serviced by Highland Valley Elder Services Inc., of Northampton, according to the state Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Officials from the Housing Authority and Highland Valley were not immediately available for comment.
The building was evacuated while firefighters battled flames on the third floor and conducted a post-fire investigation that's expected to resume this morning. Kane said the probe is being handled by the office of state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan.
It was unclear when residents, dozens of whom were forced into the streets, might be able to return to their apartments. "We had to shut down a wing of the building," Kane said.
A media report indicated that some tenants were returning to their apartments this morning, while others spent the night at a temporary shelter at the Central Baptist Church, 115 Elm St. The American Red Cross also was assisting at the scene and reportedly provided overnight shelter to 14 senior citizens.
Some tenants spoke only Russian, which made communication difficult. "There was a language barrier," Kane said.
The apartment building is located directly across the street from Police Department headquarters.
MAP of fire scene area in Westfield, where a 4-story apartment building was evacuated after a blaze broke out late Monday night: