On April 17, 2026 at 4:46PM the Vischer Ferry Fire Department along with mutual aid from the Clifton Park Fire Department, Waterford-Halfmoon Fire Department, West Crescent Fire Department, ?Clifton Park Emergency Medical Services, Rexford Fire Department, Jonesville Fire Department, and the Stratton Air National Guard Fire Department was dispatched to 622 Grooms Road for a reported structure fire. The caller reported the back of the house was on fire. The first arriving chief pulled into the driveway with heavy smoke showing from the front of the house and immediately transmitted the second alarm. Command made sure everybody was out of the structure and accounted for. Command had a heavy fire condition pushing up the backside of the structure, but the first arriving engine was only a few minutes out from the scene.

Firefighters immediately deployed an inch and three-quarter hand line to the rear of the structure and began to make an aggressive knockdown of the heavy fire condition. With firefighters having an extremely long driveway, the next engine in established a water supply from Grooms Road and fed down into the scene. As firefighters continued to hit the outside of the structure heavy smoke was pushing from the roof of the home. Firefighters deployed another inch and three-quarter hand line into the structure and made a push to the second-floor area where they had extension into the roof area and already had structural failure in the one portion of the roof due to the burn through of the roof rafter.

The Clifton Park Fire Department's truck company arrived on scene and set up in the driveway and extended their bucket to the roof. Firefighters from additional mutual aid companies arrived on scene and made their way to the front yard for staging where they were immediately put to work to search the home while crews on the second floor conducted fire suppression efforts to knock down the fire that had traveled up into the roof area. As firefighters continued to work the heavy smoke condition pushing from the roof area quickly began to dissipate. Firefighters working in the rear portion of the structure on the second floor blew a hose stream through the roof area where they still had hidden hotspots.

Within 15 minutes of the first initial tones over 50 firefighters arrived on scene to assist with the second alarm. Firefighters continue to make aggressive efforts in the rear of the structure and inside of the home and within 10 minutes the entire fire was knocked down and firefighters began to conduct overhaul. Fire Investigator’s arrived on scene and began to conduct their investigation into the fire.

The investigation determined the origin and cause of the fire was due to wind blowing embers from a backyard fire pit. The embers ignited the lawn furniture in proximity of the home and the fire subsequently progressed up the exterior of the residence into the attic space. Assistant Chief Michael Stanley stated “ whenever you are enjoying a backyard fire pit or clearing brush, Safety should always be your top priority, conditions can change in an instant and a small spark can lead to an uncontrollable blaze.” no injuries were reported at all with the fire. The Red Cross was brought in to assist with the family. Firefighters went back into service in the early evening hours.