AYER — On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at approximately 4:20 p.m., firefighters with the Ayer Fire Department were dispatched to 15 Columbia Street following a report of a building fire.
According to the Ayer Fire Department, Engine 2 arrived less than two minutes later and encountered heavy flames coming from a large multifamily residential building.
The Ayer Fire Department rapidly requested second and third alarms to bring additional personnel and apparatus to the scene.
Firefighters from multiple communities then aggressively attacked the heavy fire in the attic and roof. Multiple master streams were ultimately required to knock down the flames before crews could re-enter the building to complete extinguishment and overhaul operations.
The Ayer Fire Department said it eventually struck six alarms because of the extreme heat and humidity, allowing fresh personnel to relieve crews already working at the scene.
All occupants of the building were displaced, and the building was deemed uninhabitable. No people were injured, but several pets remained unaccounted for.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the Ayer Fire Department in cooperation with the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Mutual aid was provided by fire departments from Shirley, Devens, Littleton, Groton, Harvard, Lunenburg, Westford, Leominster, Fitchburg, Pepperell, Townsend, Boxborough, Acton, Clinton, Sterling, and Dunstable. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, Ayer Police Department, and Ayer Community Emergency Response Team also assisted.
