Fire Out The Windows On Arrival In Watervliet Apartment Building

On September 14, 2026, at 6:26 PM, the City of Watervliet’s Fire Department along with mutual aid from the City of Cohoes Fire Department, Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department, and Green Island Fire Department was dispatched to the area of fourth Avenue and 19th Street for multiple calls for a house fire. Multiple callers reported heavy smoke pushing from the house and fire pushing from the side of the building. As units were calling in route, a heavy column of smoke was visible in the sky over the city of Watervliet. As units were responding to the scene multiple departments requested a general recall of manpower. The first arriving unit immediately transmitted the signal thirty with heavy smoke showing from the structure from all four sides and heavy fire showing on the bravo side of the structure. Firefighters immediately deployed an inch and three-quarter hand line to the front door of the structure. The commanding officer notified the dispatcher that they had a large multi occupancy apartment building and was able to confirm with the Police Department that everybody was out of the structure. 

Command requested the second alarm to be transmitted bringing the following resources to the scene, Colonie Emergency Medical Services, Clifton Park Emergency Medical Services, the City of Troy’s Fire Department to the scene with Engine six, The Rescue Squad, Truck two, and the battalion chief. Firefighters tossed a ladder to the rear of the building and as they were doing so the firefighters in the front of the structure made entry to the building and began to conduct a primary search of the building. Heavy fire on the second floor was pushing from multiple windows, and thick heavy brown turbulence smoke was pushing from the opposite side of the structure from the cockloft area. Firefighters made a water supply from the nearby hydrant and ran large diameter hose down to the Watervliet engine. Firefighters pulled a hand line to the side of the building and began to hit the heavy fire from the exterior portion of the structure as firefighters were attempting to make their way to the heavy fire on the second floor. 

Firefighters made their way to the roof and began to conduct vertical ventilation to allow the heavy fire and superheated gasses to escape the cockloft. As firefighters were attempting to make an aggressive interior attack, firefighters were dealing with a heavy fire condition on the second floor and crews had heavy fire running in between the floors below them and conditions began to rapidly change. Command evacuated firefighters from the structure and firefighters switched to exterior operations. As firefighters on the roof finished cutting the ventilation hole heavy fire blew through the roof and firefighters exited the roof and regrouped on the side of the structure. Firefighters in the front of the building took out the windows to let the heavy smoke vent from the structure and for firefighters to be able to use hand lines to hit the fire as it is rolling through the ceiling area. 

Command had firefighters shut down the hand lines on the exterior portion of the structure and authorized firefighters to attempt to make a second aggressive interior attack on the second floor. Firefighters made entry to the structure and began to pull ceilings inside of the building, exposing heavy fire above their heads. Firefighters had heavy heat and smoke banking down on them. Firefighters continued to attempt to make an aggressive interior attack on the heavy fire condition. Command notified the units that in the rear of the building, it was now well involved and command requested an emergency evacuation of all firefighters from the structure. Multiple firefighters made their way out of the building and deployed, multiple hand lines to the side yard, and rear the building and began to knock down the heavy fire from the exterior portion of the structure. As they were doing so the Watervliet Fire Department‘s truck company set up in front of the structure for master stream operations. 

As firefighters were working heavy tubulin smoke began to push from the front eaves area of the building and heavy fire was visible on the second floor through the vented windows. Within a few minutes, the heavy smoke condition pushing from the front of the structure and the top portion of the building rapidly flashed over and a partial collapse occurred sending a significant portion of the roof well involved to the sidewalk below. Firefighters utilizing multiple hand lines began to knock down the visible fire, but had their hands full as the fire was well involved, and in areas of the building that they could not get to. The truck company began to go into master stream operations, sending thousands of gallons of water into the building from the roof as heavy fire had blown through the roof of the building and parts of the outer walls of the Bravo, Charlie, and Delta side of the building. 

Firefighters that were working inside of the structure, changed out their air bottles and got a drink of water before going back to work. Multiple firefighters from the recall began to arrive on scene and assist with operations. Command requested New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control to the scene to investigate the fire. Firefighters on the exterior portion of the structure conducted extensive water suppression efforts for an extended period of time as the stubborn fire would not go out. As the evening went on, the master stream operations from the truck company became effective, and the truck company repositioned a few times and made positive changes to allow for firefighters to gain access to the remaining fire.

Mutual aid was released in the late evening hours as multiple recalls for manpower had brought in enough firefighters to staff the scene and the stations. Firefighters on scene went back into service in the early hours of the next morning. The investigators from New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control arrived on scene and began to conduct their investigation into the fire. No injuries were reported. The American Red Cross was contacted for the occupants of the structure.