On April 26, 2025, just before 1 AM the City of Albany's Fire Department was dispatched to 200 Washington Avenue for a reported structure fire. During the investigation of that fire crews held the first due engine company and truck company. As firefighters were clearing that incident the dispatcher notified the battalion chief that they were putting out a structure fire for 188 Colonie Street the caller reported the house next-door was on fire and the dispatcher was taking multiple calls on the fire. Engine two, engine eleven, rescue two, truck two, engine one, engine seven, truck four, the rescue squad, Mohawk Ambulance Service, and the battalion chief responded to the scene.

As fire apparatus were responding to the scene a massive glow from the house was visible a few blocks away. Engine two notify the dispatcher that they had a signal thirty working fire with heavy fire from one structure with multiple exposure issues and the other building next to the building had caught fire and requested the second alarm to be immediately transmitted bringing rescue one, engine five, and another truck company when they freed up from another call. The City of Troy’s Fire Department, City of Watervliet's Fire Department, and Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department was brought into the city of Albany to handle calls while Albany firefighters worked on scene. Firefighters from engine one immediately established a water supply on scene and firefighters from engine two deployed an inch and three-quarter hand line into the front door of the structure while the truck company set up on the roadway and place their ladder to the roof of the structure. Firefighters made their way inside of the structure and made their way to the third floor.

Firefighters deployed an inch and three-quarter hand line to the rear of the structure as the back of the building was heavily involved. Firefighters made their way inside of the structure and began to quickly conduct a primary search of the building to make sure everybody was out and accounted for. As additional resources arrived on scene they evacuated the structures on both sides of the main fire building. Firefighters had a significant fire condition on the third floor and in the roof of the structure. Firefighters deployed an additional hand line in the front door of the structure and as the hand line hit the third-floor firefighters called for the pump operator to charge the line. Command gave an update to the dispatcher that they now had three buildings involved heavy fire in the rear of the structure and firefighters were making their way into the secondary structure on the bravo side of the building to knock down the heavy fire condition that had jumped to the other building.

Firefighters from ladder one set up in the roadway and extended its ladder up to the roof of the exposure building on the bravo side of the building. The pump operator on scene notified command that they had a water supply issue and firefighters quickly began to reestablish a water supply. Firefighters in the rear of the structure grabbed a blitz fire off of the engine and ran it down the alleyway in between the buildings. As firefighters were working on the third floor of the structure knocking down some of the heavy Fire condition firefighters in the rear of the building called for the blitz fire to be charged and firefighters immediately went to work knocking down the heavy fire condition. The bright glow of the fire in the morning sky quickly turned to steam. Firefighters inside of the structure were able to confirm to command that wall of the occupants in the building were accounted for.

As firefighters continued to work on the third floor of the structure conditions began to change as the heavy fire condition in the rear of the building had spread to the roof and cockloft. Firefighters notified command that they had significant fire pushing from the cockloft area and was impinging on the delta exposure. Firefighters after about twenty minutes into the incident made their way down to the first floor and began to change out their air bottles. The pump operator from engine one hopped on top of the rig and utilized a master stream from the deck gun and knocked down a significant portion of the fire on the third floor from the front of the building. Firefighters in the rear of the building still had a significant fire condition running the roof of the building. As firefighters were pulling out of the building, the officer inside of the building notified command that the floor was structurally unsafe as there were multiple holes in the floor and command pulled all firefighters from the third floor. The truck company in the front of the building had firefighters establish a water supply to it to be able to utilize their master streams to knock down the heavy fire condition running the roof. Firefighters in the exposure buildings were able to bring the fire under control in those buildings utilizing hand lines to knock down any of the extension into those buildings.

The residence on the second floor notified the battalion chief that their dogs were still inside of the structure. Firefighters went to the second floor and began to conduct a thorough secondary search and were able to locate two of the three dogs and brought them outside and reunited them with their owner. Command staff was able to utilize master streams from the truck company in the blitz fire to bring the incident under control. After a short period of time command staff allowed firefighters to re-enter the structure and continue to work. Firefighters continue to work until the early hours of the morning. Mutual aid companies in the city of Albany ran numerous calls until the early hours of the morning. No injuries were reported on scene, and it is unknown at this time if the third dog was located. The Red Cross assisted all of the occupants of the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time.