AMHERST — An Orchard Valley home was destroyed, and a cat living at the residence likely killed, by an early Saturday morning fire, with the initial attack by firefighters compromised by a fire hydrant covered in snow and ice and frozen shut, and a second fire hydrant only working after being forced into operation.

Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgrem said Monday that Amherst firefighters responded at 3:56 a.m. Saturday to a 911 call from a neighbor reporting smoke and fire from the ranch-style home at 8 Pondview Drive, at the corner of Pondview Drive and Farmington Road.

Five on-duty full-time firefighters, along with officers from Amherst police, got to the scene and confirmed that the one-story, single-family residence was on fire, with a heavy fire blaze in the basement extending though the first floor and into the attic.

In addition to calling all Amherst firefighters to the scene, a second alarm was sounded for mutual aid. First arriving crews attempted to enter the house to search for occupants, but discovered the floor had burned through from the basement below, and they were forced to evacuate and continue to fight the fire from outside.

The first firefighters on scene noticed the first floor had already collapsed into the basement, Stromgren said. “They realized there was no floor and backed out,” Stromgren said.

Attempting to access a fire hydrant, firefighters found a large mound of snow and ice and could see the metal flag protruding that the Department of Public Works inserts into the hydrants. But the hydrant was frozen closed. “The house was so heavily involved really it wouldn’t have made a difference,” Stromgren said.

Initially it was unknown if there was anyone home at the time of the fire, but neighbors were able to contact the owners by cellphone and confirmed the family of three was out of town visiting friends. The home, according to property records, is owned by Shivaji Kumar and Sheetal Ghadse, who are being assisted by the American Red Cross to find temporary housing.

Crews worked for the next two hours to extinguish the blaze. Crews shoveled out the covered hydrant but found it was frozen shut. Another nearby hydrant was also frozen shut, but crews were able to force it open using a breaker bar.

Stromgren said the department advises residents to clear hydrants at least 3 feet in all directions, but there is no bylaw requiring them to keep the hydrants cleared, unlike rules requiring sidewalks to be cleared of snow and ice. Stromgren said his department and the DPW don’t have the personnel to keep all hydrants cleared on their own, though about 90% of homes in town are protected by hydrants.

The home appears to be a total loss. The Amherst building inspector was on scene, and power and water was shut off to the building by Eversource and the Amherst Water Department.

Neighbors were also stepping up in providing the family necessities. A group known as Markert’s Pond Friends were getting gift cards, clothes and other personal items for the homeowners.

Amherst firefighters were assisted on scene by firefighters from Belchertown, Hadley and Northampton, as well as a Granby ambulance, while Pelham firefighters provided station coverage at the Central Fire Station.

A firefighter rehab unit was also on scene staffed by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. An unrelated EMS call in town during the fire was handled by an ambulance from South County Ambulance service.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Amherst Fire and Police departments and the state fire marshal’s office, but is not believed to be suspicious.

In January 2019, another home on Pondview Drive was destroyed in a fire, with the residents at home during the early morning fire escaping thanks to functioning smoke detectors.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.