Red Rock Command Coordinates Multi-Department Attack on Heavy Stonewall Road Fire

Canaan, NY - More than a dozen emergency agencies from two states mounted a massive structural fire attack Monday afternoon on Stonewall Road, deploying an extensive 10-tanker rural water shuttle and heavy excavation equipment to bring a working structure fire under control.

At approximately 4:16 p.m. on September 7, 2026, Columbia County 911 dispatched the Red Rock Task Force to a reported structure fire on Stonewall Road in the Town of Austerlitz. While en route, Red Rock Car 1 observed heavy smoke plumes rising from the area while traveling along State Route 203 and immediately escalated the alarm, requesting a full Battalion 5 tanker response.

Red Rock Engine 7612 arrived first on scene, laying a continuous supply line down the driveway and initiating operations as the primary attack engine. East Chatham Tanker 7532 arrived moments later to directly feed water to the attack pumper, while Canaan Engine 3441 and Car 1 established a high-capacity dump site. Red Rock Car 1 assumed overall fireground command.

To sustain adequate fire flows in the non-hydrant rural area, East Chatham Car 3 and Engine 7512 established a dedicated tanker fill site near the intersection of Stonewall Road and Macedonia Road. Operating in a coordinated circuit, crews set up two portable dump ponds and utilized portable pumps alongside a 10-tanker shuttle to maintain continuous water delivery directly to the attack units.

Due to extensive structural compromise, the Town of Canaan Highway Department was summoned with an excavator to pull apart heavy collapsed debris, allowing interior and exterior crews to locate hidden pockets of fire and achieve complete knockdown. Units on scene received traffic control and perimeter support from the New York State Police.

No civilian injuries were reported during the incident. The cause and origin of the blaze remain under active investigation by county fire investigators.