Pre-Dawn Industrial Blaze in Chemung County Prompts Aerial Operations and Mutual Aid Station Coverage

Horseheads, NY - Firefighters launched a five-hour commercial suppression effort early Wednesday morning, shifting to defensive aerial master streams after flames vented through the roof of an expansive manufacturing complex in Chemung County.

At 3:22 a.m. on September 2, the Horseheads Town and Country Fire Department was summoned on mutual aid to assist the Big Flats Fire Department with a working structural fire at the Ward Manufacturing and Boss Security commercial complex. Command specifically requested the deployment of Tower 1651 to combat the sprawling commercial blaze.

Upon arrival, Horseheads crews established a dedicated water supply and laddered the roof of the facility. Firefighters initially carried out vertical ventilation operations while teams worked to pinpoint the seat of the fire within the vast structural footprint.

Conditions rapidly deteriorated as intense heat and heavy fire broke through the roof decking, prompting incident commanders to pull crews back and transition into a defensive posture. Operating from elevated positions, Tower 1651 engaged both high-capacity water monitors to knock down the volume of exterior fire and saturate the breached roof sections.

Once exterior flames were subdued and the fire was brought under control, crews transitioned Tower 1651 into an overhead observation and coordination platform, guiding interior attack teams as they moved in to suppress residual pockets of fire.

Due to the physical demands of the sizable incident, extensive relief and support personnel were cycled through the scene. The Breesport Fire Department was dispatched to stand by at the Horseheads firehouse, providing district coverage and answering concurrent regional calls.

Horseheads crews operated on scene for over five hours before being released at approximately 8:30 a.m. to return apparatus to service. The origin and cause of the blaze remain under active investigation.