Syracuse, N.Y. – The morning of April 1st was a busy one for Syracuse firefighters. At 4:49 A.M. crews were called to 306 Burdick Avenue for a house fire. The first units were on scene in 3 minutes, and reported heavy fire conditions in the basement of the single-family home. Two occupants were home at the time of the fire, and were able to escape prior to the fire department’s arrival. They suffered minor injuries, and were transported to a local hospital for evaluation. A firefighter also suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Conditions inside the home quickly deteriorated, and the decision was made to temporarily withdraw firefighters from the building and extinguish the flames from the outside. Crews were able to re-enter the home once the flames were brought under control. It took approximately 30 minutes to fully extinguish the blaze. Because of the significant volume of fire, an extra engine was called to the scene.
At 5:55 A.M. firefighters at Fire Station 10 (2030 East Genesee Street) noticed smoke and flames coming from the house next door, at 2018 East Genesee Street. The occupants of the building were quickly evacuated while crews worked to extinguish the flames. Conditions in that building also deteriorated quickly, and firefighters had to be withdrawn. It took several hours to completely extinguish the fire, and the damage to the building is significant. Firefighters utilized several master stream devices, which are capable of delivering more than 350 gallons of water per minute each. One firefighter suffered minor injuries at that incident.
National Grid, AMR, and the Syracuse Police Department responded to both incidents. The local chapter of the American Red Cross will be assisting displaced occupants from both fires. Members of the Fire Investigation Bureau are currently working to determine the origin and cause of each fire.
