On April 17, 2025, at 2:30PM, the Northside Fire Department with the Boght Fire Company and Waterford Rescue Squad was dispatched to 72 Saratoga Avenue for a reported structure fire. The caller reported the house was on fire. Boght Car Ten and Northside’s Car Forty-Six called in route to the scene and notified the dispatchers they had a smoke showing from a great distance away. Car Forty-Six Arrived on scene to a two-story wood frame structure with heavy fire showing on the bravo side and charlie side of the structure and immediately transmitted the second alarm bringing the Mechanicville Fire Department, Waterford Fire Department, Latham Fire Department, Maplewood Fire Department, and Halfmoon-Waterford Fire Department to the scene. 

Command requested the police department to shut down Saratoga Avenue and that the home was being evacuated. Command notified the dispatcher that he had exposure issues and heavy fire traveling up the exterior portion of the wall to the second floor. Within minutes the first arriving engine pulled up in front of the structure and firefighters deployed an inch and three-quarter hand line to the side of the house and began to knock down the heavy fire condition. Additional mutual aid units began to arrive on scene and began to establish an additional water supply near the McDonald’s. As firefighters were doing so one firefighter became injured and had to be transported to the hospital. As firefighters continued to work the heavy fire condition got into the attic area and second floor. Heavy smoke began to push from the eves and the peak of the roof. The Waterford Fire Department truck company took the front of the building along with Mechanicville’s truck company and firefighters immediately began to set up the truck companies. The rapid intervention team notified command that they just had heavy fire blow out the back of the building from the attic area. 

Additional resources from the West Albany Fire Department, Hillcrest Fire Department, West Crescent Fire Department, and Clifton Park Fire Department were brought to the scene for manpower as the fire was heavily deep seated in the attic area. Firefighters made their way to the second floor where they began to pull ceilings in an attempt to get access to the heavy fire condition. Firefighters on the exterior portion of the structure was able to knock down the heavy fire condition and prevent it from spreading to the neighboring structure. Firefighters on the truck company notified command that they had solar panels on the roof and command requested a hole be made to see what the conditions are like throughout the attic. As conditions continued to rapidly change command requested a tactical withdraw from the building as heavy fire blew through the attic area. Firefighters withdrew from the structure and regrouped as the truck companies opened up their master streams. 

After firefighters were able to utilize the master streams from the truck company to bring a significant portion of the incident under control firefighters in the rear of the building utilized a blitz fire and knock down a significant portion of the heavy fire in the rear of the building in attic area also. Firefighters on the bravo side of the structure utilized a hand line and made entry to the first-floor rear portion of the structure and began to knock down the remaining fire on the first-floor area. Thick heavy smoke continued to push from the roof area as firefighter still had a significant fire condition in the attic that could not be reached by the master streams. Command authorized firefighters to re-enter the structure, and they made their way to the second floor and began to pull apart the ceiling area to gain access to the remaining fire condition. While firefighters were making entry to the structure firefighters discovered two tortoises inside of the home and quickly rescued them and brought them out to their owner that was ecstatic to get them back safely. 

Firefighters from the West Crescent Fire Department arrived on scene with their truck company and set up on the delta side of the structure on the side street and firefighters immediately set up and went to work cutting a vent hole in the roof. As firefighters continued to work one additional firefighter went down and became injured but was evaluated by EMS on scene and transported to the hospital. Firefighters continue to work on scene for an extended period of time knocking down hotspots in the attic area and on the second floor. Firefighters conducted extensive overhaul of the severely damaged home. Firefighters on the rear of the structure pulled apart the siding and the soffit areas of the roof to make sure that there was no remaining fire. Firefighters worked from the bucket to vent the structure and firefighters notified command that the roof on the structure had been compromised.

Numerous Fire Department in the Town of Colonie and Saratoga County were placed on standby as firefighters in the Town of Colonie and Saratoga County did not want to be short staffed in responding to calls. Both firefighters that became injured were transported to the hospital for evaluations and released a short time later. Firefighters continued to work until the early evening hours. Fire investigators arrived on scene and began to conductor investigation into what caused the fire. No other firefighters were injured battling the fire. Firefighters went back in service just after 6 PM.