On Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 2:45 p.m., the City of Troy’s Fire Department was dispatched for a reported structure fire at 2 Brunswick Road at the Stewart’s shop. Engine 2, Engine 3, Engine 6, the Rescue Squad, Truck 2, Truck 1, Medic 4, and the Battalion Chief responded to the scene. The dispatcher notified the chief that they had multiple calls on the reported fire. Engine 2 arrived on scene and took up position in front of the panel with the apparatus and deployed an inch and three-quarter hand line along with a dry chemical fire extinguisher. Engine 2’s officer called the signal twenty for a working fire. 

The battalion chief arrived on scene and notified the dispatcher that the employees had evacuated the store and requested national grid to the scene and for them to expedite. Troy police arrived on scene and set up a traffic pattern to keep firefighters safe while they operated on scene. Firefighters from the truck company laddered the building and made their way to the roof. Firefighters notified the crews working on the roof that they may have extension as the fire was licking the eaves of the building. As firefighters were working the meter would flare up with a significant amount of black smoke, heavy fire, and molted pieces of the power box that would shoot out words. Firefighter searched for the nearby fire hydrant and were eventually able to locate it as it was well hidden in the shrubbery of the store’s decor. 

Firefighters near the electrical panel utilized a fire extinguisher when the fire would flare up. Firefighters from other rigs placed all of their extinguishers near the fire scene as firefighters could not utilize water until the power was secured. Command requested the dispatcher to notify national grid to expedite to the scene and explain the situation at hand. Firefighters check the store again for extension and firefighters on the roof made a small hole to make sure there was no extension into the roof. After a short period of time national grid arrived on scene and secured all of the power at the pole to the building. Firefighters were able to check to make sure all of the power had been secured and began to cool down the area that was affected. Employees from the Stewart shop was able to go back in and grab their belongings. 

Firefighters on scene set up at the picnic tables and had a bottle of water and attempted to stay cool as temperatures were hovering around 103°F. As firefighters were picking up on scene, another reported structure fire came in for 58 Jefferson Street. The caller reported smoke inside of the building after a power issue. Firefighters raced from one fire to the other. On arrival, there was nothing showing but inside of the structure had a minor smoke condition. Firefighters searched the structure and secured the power to the building. Command requested national grid to the scene. After a short period of time on scene, command transmitted a signal twenty and held the first due engine. At both fire scenes national grid secured the power to the building.

It is unknown at this time what caused the power meter at the Stewart’s to catch fire. No injuries were reported at either scene.