Greater Nashua
Amherst Street building ravaged by natural gas explosion
NASHUA - Three firefighters were injured while responding to a four-alarm fire at 440 Amherst St. on the afternoon of Feb. 2. Although the incident remains under investigation, falling ice may have ruptured a natural gas line. According to the state Fire Marshal’s Office, the incident was called in at 2:15 p.m. At that time, the reporting caller said there was an “odor of gas and a hissing sound.” Approximately 60 people were initially in the building; however, many of them evacuated before firefighters arrived. “As the information came into dispatch, it was clear we had a quickly evolving incident,” said Emily Martuscello, director of Emergency Management, during a press conference on Feb. 3. “It escalated very quickly.” A cell phone alert was also sent out to area residents asking them to turn off burners and put out open flames. The gas line exploded ...
