Community rallies around fire survivors

GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Tenants of one Greenfield apartment building lost everything to a weekend fire, Monday nearly two dozen people are picking up the pieces to their lives.

Investigators began the day by going inside to try and pinpoint a cause to Sunday's 5-alarm fire.

"We were standing there watching our lives go up in smoke," said one tenant.

Twenty one lives were turned upside down by a fast moving fire that raced through the four story apartment building at 29 Chapman Street.

"I looked out and there were flames coming out faster than anything," recalled Lena Beauchesne.

A day later, the state police fire probe heated up while the rebuilding began for those left homeless.

"I've been there a week, I hadn't even unpacked and now my stuff is gone," said tenant Mark Gagnon.

While one woman was holding out hope her cat would come back, another college student wondered what was next.

"Pretty much all I had was there, I was just starting out it was my first apartment so I lost everything," said Mitchell McConnell, 17.

The American Red Cross and the community are now rallying behind the victims by giving generous donations.

"The community's turned out and they haven't stopped," said Paul Stevens who is collecting donations at the Loyal Order of Moose on School Street.

After flames and thick smoke poured from the building's windows for hours on Sunday, everyone agreed it was a miracle that 21 men, women, children and pets made it to safety.

"Flames were going down the hallway so we had to break out my window and go down the fire escape," said McConnell.

Fire Chief Michael Winn told 22News he is proud of his firefighters and their heroics, "all of their efforts were on life safety and rescue they did a valiant job getting 6 people off the fire escapes. "

"That's what we have to look at, everyone still breathing, that's the highest point we have," said Gagnon.

Sometime this week, crews plan to remove the top floor of the building while continuing to find out how it started. Right now it appears the origin is on the third floor.