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. on Friday, January 9, for an automatic fire alarm activation. 

Fire crews arrived on scene and reported there was an active alarm going off at the building. 

While investigating, crews caught a glimpse of 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 got to work searching for the fire. 

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

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

A large bay door was cut by fire crews for ventilation of the truck bay filled with smoke. 

Baldwin says a forklift parked directly next to the fire, along with a truck with trailer with a mini excavator were all removed and unaffected by fire damage. 

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

“The fire originated within a trashcan in the back corner of the garage,” Baldwin said. “We were unable to eliminate smoking materials, spontaneous combustion, and/or open sparks/embers from some tools that were operating in the vicinity of the origin earlier in the day.” 

He says the fire was not suspicious and there were no injuries reported on scene. 

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