ALBANY, NY - On May 13th at 10:21 P.M., the City of Albany Fire Department was dispatched for a reported structure fire with possible entrapment at 78 Grant Avenue. Engines 1, 2, 11 and 7, along with the squad, Trucks 2 and 3, and the battalion chief were dispatched to the scene.

As units were dispatched to the scene, a neighbor tossed a ladder to the second floor window of the house that was on fire in order to rescue a trapped occupant. The occupant was able to break out the window with his hand as he became overcome by the thick heavy black smoke, and he was safely removed from the home.

Engine 7 arrived on scene and immediately declared a Signal 30 for a working structure fire with heavy fire pushing from the 'Delta' side of the structure. Firefighters immediately deployed a one-and-three-quarter inch hand line into the front door of the structure while additional firefighters began to arrive on scene. As Engine 7's crew entered the structure, heavy black and brown smoke began pushing from the front.

Crews arriving on scene immediately deployed a supply line to the fire hydrant and established a water supply. Firefighters inside the structure quickly made sure that everyone was out of the structure as EMS began to administer care to the fire victim who escaped through the window. As firefighters were attempting to make an aggressive interior attack, the pump operator of Engine 7 notified his interior crew to back out of the structure, as they were having problems getting them water. Command requested another engine company to the scene due to mechanical problems, as well as another ambulance.

Crews were able to fix the problem with the engine and began to conduct an aggressive interior attack, quickly knocking down all of the heavy fire. Firefighters then began to vent the roof of the structure. Due to the aggressive fire fighting tactics of the Albany Fire Department, the fire was brought under control in less than nine minutes. Crews conducted overhaul for an extensive period of time before clearing the scene. The fire victim was transported to the hospital in stable condition, and the fire is under investigation at this time.