Fire at vacant North End house damaged two other homes

SPRINGFIELD, Mass (WWLP). - 50 people had to be evacuated as heat from a fire in a vacant two-family house in Springfield's North End caused damage to two other nearby homes Wednesday morning.

Springfield firefighters were called to 14-16 Huntington Street in the city's North End shortly before 5 A.M.

Dennis Leger, Aide to the Springfield Fire Commissioner, told 22News that the unoccupied two-family house was destroyed. 

According to Leger, a four-story apartment building at 8-10 Huntington Street, home to dozens of people, was evacuated and also received thousands of dollars in damage on the 4th floor. 

Leger told 22News heat from the fire also damaged siding on a home at 15-17 Greenwich Street. 

This is not the first time there has been a fire in a vacant home in the neighborhood. On March 30, there was a fire in a vacant home next door, at 22 Huntington Street.

"Obviously, both of those fires are suspicious because they are vacant. There's not power to them, there's not reason for them to catch on fire," Leger said.