On August 12, 2026, at 10:26 PM, multiple calls began to pour into the emergency communication center for the City of Albany for 70 Central Avenue for a vacant building on fire in the rear of the building. Albany Police that were responding to a call in the area arrived on scene and notified the dispatcher that the building in the rear was well involved. The alarm of fire tones dropped for rescue one, the rescue squad, truck two, truck three, engine one, engine seven, engine two, the battalion chief, and Mohawk Ambulance Service to respond to the scene.

As truck three was in route to the scene, the officer notified the dispatcher that they had heavy fire visible coming down Central Avenue. Engine seven arrived on scene and transmitted the signal thirty with heavy fire showing in the rear of the structure with exposure issues. Engine seven secured a hydrant near the front of the structure and firefighters quickly began to deploy multiple lines to the rear of the building including a blitz fire. Firefighters in the rear the structure began to make an aggressive knockdown of the heavy fire condition and to hit the exposure building. The battalion chief arrived on scene and transmitted the second alarm bringing additional resources to the scene.

Truck three set up in the parking lot nearby and their crew members made their way to the roof to begin to conduct ventilation. Command notified all units that there is a red X on the front of the building, but they had an open door in the rear of the structure and firefighters made entry and began to conduct a rapid and aggressive search for victims as there was a possibility as the building could have been occupied by individuals that are homeless. Firefighters in the rear the structure continued to knock down the significant fire condition that was running the rear porch area and firefighters on the roof of the structure vented the building. Firefighters began to pull off the boards on the front of the structure exposing the inside of the building and venting the building of the smoke. 

Firefighters check the exposure building for any extension but did not have any. Firefighters continued to work on the main fire building and began to conduct extensive overhaul as they were quickly able to knock down the heavy fire condition in less than 15 minutes and bring the incident under control. Firefighters notified command that there were no victims inside of the building and the primary search was negative. Firefighters inside of the building also notified all units that the back porch in the rear of the building were severely compromised and not to go out the rear of the structure. Command requested fire investigator’s to the scene. Firefighters from truck two set up on Central Avenue and their firefighters made their way to the roof to assist with conducting further ventilation of the building and checking for extension into the roof area as the heavy fire condition was coming up over the top of the building from the rear staircases.

Firefighters remained on scene for an extended period of time. Fire Investigator’s arrived on scene and began to conduct their investigation into the fire as the building was a vacant structure. No injuries were reported, and firefighters went back into service in the early hours of the morning.