A fire broke out inside a firehouse in Albany County, causing damage to the apparatus bay. 

The Berne Fire Department was dispatched to their firehouse located at 30 Canady Hill Road, on Saturday, February 21, at 10:45 a.m. for a fire alarm activation. 

“While I was going down the road I assumed it was the furnace again,” said Chief Jason Smith of the Berne Fire Department. “I called mutual aid because I saw plumes of smoke.” 

The fire alarm activation was upgraded to a working structure fire once it was determined it was not another furnace issue, but an active fire inside. 

The apparatus was able to be removed from the building with minimal damage. One truck did sustain some heat damage on top. 

“The nozzle on the deck gun got heat damage to it, but that was all that we had any damage to on the trucks,” he said. 

Berne, East Berne and Westerlo firefighters were able to quickly locate and extinguish the fire inside the apparatus bay. 

Smith says they are still waiting for insurance, but says they definitely lost the first apparatus bay, the Plymovent system for apparatus exhaust, their bailout wall, spare gear, paper files, and lots of electrical damage. The building itself also sustained damage from the heat. 

He says the parapet wall was damaged, two or three trusses inside were damaged as well as some other structural damage. 

Smith said the parapet wall stopped the fire from entering the rest of the firehouse. 

He says the cause of the fire was determined to be from an air compressor. 

“The investigator and adjuster both determined we had a Craftsman air compressor that ran the vacuum system for the Plymovent system and the motor on that caught on fire,” he said. 

He thinks the fire started from the old age of the compressor as the unit was well over 20 years old. 

The following Monday, Onesquethaw Fire helped wash fire hose, Huntersland Fire helped wash all the gear, Tri-Village ran their gear through industrial gear extractors, Westerlo and Knox assisted with clearing items and debris from the apparatus bay. 

Gallupville, Huntersland, Selkirk, Altamont and Slingerlands fire departments all offered gear, hose or any equipment needed to be borrowed until things got straightened out, Smith said. 

He added that Onequethaw Fire Auxiliary provided a donation and Onequethaw Fire donated proceeds from their breakfast fundraiser. 

The apparatus is still currently scattered throughout the area since it cannot be parked inside the Berne Firehouse due to damage. 

Smith says one engine is at the Helderberg EMS station, another engine and utility truck with trailer are in a business owners private garage, the rescue truck is the only apparatus left in the station in the bay furthest away from the fire damage. 

Crews on scene and standing by included Berne, East Berne, Westerlo, Knox and Onesquethaw fire departments, Helderberg EMS, Albany County Paramedics. 

“Special thanks to all that offered help or were up here helping,” Smith said. “Thank you to everyone there. We’re getting through it.”