3rd fire in a week on Locust Street in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Firefighters in Springfield spent the night putting out a fire at an abandoned apartment building on Locust Street, which has been the location of two other fires very recently.

The vacant building is the same one that was on fire Sunday, and this building is next to 258 Locust Street which was on fire last Tuesday .

The fire started in the back of the building. Because of its age and the decay of the structure due to previous fires, firefighters weren't able to go inside to put the fire out.

Firefighters put out the flames from the outside, but took them longer to do so without being able to work inside as well.

• Photos: January Report It

There are no reports of injuries. The fire has not been ruled an arson, but Dennis Leger, aide to the Springfield Fire Commisssioner, told 22News that because the building was vacant, they are treating it as suspicious.

Neighbors told 22News that they hope the city will take down these vacant buildings to prevent other fires so close to their apartments.

"Our management tries, they do a good job, so yeah it is a shame. I thought maybe at first they were going to rehab them, but it doesn't look that way," neighbor Lynn Johnston said.

At one point, the fire was large enough that smoke could be seen from different neighborhoods around Springfield.