NORTHAMPTON — Firefighters from three communities responded to a basement fire at 85 Riverbank Road late Thursday morning.
Assistant Fire Chief Jon Davine said the 911 call from a resident came in at about 11:56 a.m. The fire was knocked down in the basement in about 15 minutes, Davine said, but there was also a small amount of fire damage on the first floor and a lot of smoke damage in the rest of the house that forced residents to relocate temporarily.
“It won’t be today,” Davine said regarding when people will be able to move back in.
Davine said two cats at the site were exhibiting signs of smoke inhalation. The cats were administered oxygen onsite and transported to the animal hospital in Deerfield.
The cause of the fire hadn’t been determined as of Thursday afternoon and was still being investigated.
Northampton was assisted by the Easthampton and Amherst fire departments at the site, while the Southampton Fire Department and Pioneer Valley EMS did ambulance coverage in the city during the incident.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.