The city of Rensselaer’s Fire Department with Mohawk Ambulance Service was dispatched to a reported structure fire on August 9, 2025, at 8:19 AM for Six Aiken Avenue. The caller stated there is something smoldering behind the cabinet in the residence. As apparatus were calling in route to the scene, ladder one notified the dispatcher that they had a heavy column of black smoke visible from Broadway in the clear morning sky. The Chief notified the dispatcher that he is confirming the heavy smoke condition in the air and requested the re-transmission of the alarm as a working structure fire and to transmit the second alarm bringing the East Greenbush Fire Department, Defreestville Fire Department and Clinton Height Fire Department to the scene with the Wynantskill Fire Department to standby at the North station to cover the city of Rensselaer. 

Engine two and Ladder one arrived on scene and notified the dispatches that they had a working porch fire in the rear of the structure. Firefighters immediately deployed a hand line to the rear porch area and began to knock down the heavy fire condition. In the front of the structure firefighters had an impeded walkway into the home which made it difficult for firefighters to enter the home, and their hand line would have potential for getting snagged up on different items. While command conducted their quick walk around of the structure, they had a significant smoke issue pushing from the second floor and attic area of the structure. Firefighters immediately made entry to the structure and completed a quick primary search and notified command that all of the occupants of the structure were accounted for. Additional resources quickly began to arrive on scene and firefighters began to check for extension into the second floor and first floor. Firefighters on the rear porch began to pull apart the roof area of the porch and to overhaul all of the items that were on fire.

Firefighters on the second floor had a significant smoke condition and firefighters began to vent the windows in order to improve visibility conditions and began to search the second floor with a thermal imaging camera to make sure that there was no extension. Firefighters on the first floor overhauled in the area of the main fire inside of the home. Firefighters continued to conduct overhaul on the outside portion of the home as firefighters made their way to the roof to check for extension as they still had a significant smoke condition pushing from the attic area. Command requested the Schodack Valley Fire Department to the scene with their air bank to fill bottles. Firefighters continue to work inside and check for any extension. Firefighters on the roof notified command that there was no extension into the roof and it was just residual smoke. Firefighters used ventilation fans to clear the house of all of the remaining smoke from the fire. National grid secured the power and gas to the home and command requested the code enforcement officer to the scene. 

Firefighters continue to work for a significant portion of the morning. No injuries were reported, and the fire remains under investigation at this time. Firefighters went back into service later in the morning. Due to the aggressive response from the city of Rensselaer’s Fire Department they were able to bring this incident under control quickly and efficiently and stop the spread of the fire to any other portion of the home.