ELSMERE, NY – Firefighters responding to an automatic fire alarm activation were met with fire conditions at a Town of Bethlehem DPW building.

Elsmere firefighters were called to the Town of Bethlehem DPW Service Garage at 308 Kenwood Ave around 10:30 p.m. back on Friday, January 9th, for an automatic fire alarm activation.

Fire crews arrived on scene and reported an active alarm sounding at the building.

While investigating, crews observed smoke coming from a vent outside the building.

Fire chiefs declared an active fire condition inside the building and requested mutual aid from Delmar Fire and the Town of Bethlehem FAST Team.

Firefighters on scene began searching for the source of the fire.

“Entry crews encountered heavy smoke with minimal heat, and fire was contained in the area of origin,” said Chief Bob Baldwin of the Elsmere Fire Department.

The fire was extinguished rapidly upon entry, and crews worked to ventilate smoke from the structure.

A large bay door was opened by fire crews to assist with ventilation of the truck bay, which was filled with smoke.

Baldwin said a forklift parked directly next to the fire, along with a truck and trailer carrying a mini excavator, were removed and were not damaged.

He said fire damage was limited to a trash can and a shelf above it that housed a chainsaw chain sharpener station.

“The fire originated within a trash can in the back corner of the garage,” Baldwin said. “We were unable to determine whether it was caused by discarded smoking materials, spontaneous combustion, or open sparks/embers from tools that had been operating in the vicinity earlier in the day.”

He said the fire is not considered suspicious, and no injuries were reported on scene.

Fire crews were assisted by Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, Albany County Paramedics, and Bethlehem Police.