TROY, NY - On March 2nd at 3:37 A.M., the Rensselaer County Emergency Communication Center began taking multiple calls on a reported structure fire at 289 5th Avenue. The caller reported that the front of the house was on fire.

Engine 1, truck 1, engine 4, engine 2, truck 2, the rescue squad, medic 4, and the battalion chief were dispatched to the scene. As engine 1 was coming down Fifth Avenue, they had a smoke condition in the street and a glow. On arrival, engine 1 immediately declared the Signal 30 for a working structure fire, as they had a significant fire condition on the front porch of the structure.

With a heavy fire condition on the front porch, firefighters had a report of a person still inside of the building and made their way inside where they discovered an occupant attempting to get their medicines. Firefighters immediately evacuated them from the building to safety. Just as firefighters were doing so, the front window broke from the heat of the fire on the front porch and began to fall apart.

Crews deployed a one-and-three-quarter-inch hand line and began to knock down the heavy fire condition. Firefighters brought the incident under control within two minutes of arrival and continued to soak down the front porch and conduct overhaul of the scene. Firefighters made their way inside and discovered that they had knocked down the fire quick enough that it did not spread to the inside of the structure.

Fire investigators arrived on scene and began to conduct their investigation into the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported, and due to the rapid response and aggressive fire tactics of the Troy Fire Department, the fire did not spread to any other portion of the home. Had no one seen the fire and called it in, the fire would have most likely made its way inside of the home and firefighters would have had a larger battle on their hands. No determination has been released publicly in regard to the cause of the fire.