Hidden Fire Causes Problems For Firefighters On Park Avenue In Cohoes

The City of Cohoes Fire Department on September 11, 2026, at 2:44 PM responded with mutual aid from the Green Island Fire Department, Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department, City of Watervliet Fire Department, and Mohawk Ambulance Service to multiple calls for a reported structure fire at 74 Park Avenue. The caller reported a fire in the first-floor apartment, and the occupants had evacuated the structure, but there was still pets inside of the building. As units were responding to the scene, they had a heavy column of smoke visible from Central Station. The Police Department arrived on scene and began to evacuate the building of the occupants. The Chief from the Fire Department arrived on scene and immediately transmitted the signal thirty for a working structure fire.

Firefighters on arrival immediately deployed an inch and three-quarter hand line and made entry to the structure while additional crews made entry to the structure and began to conduct a primary search. Firefighters on scene connected to the nearby hydrant establishing a water supply. Firefighters had heavy fire pushing from the delta side of the structure. Thick heavy brown, and black smoke pushed into the clear afternoon sky and was visible from South Troy. Firefighters had a heavy smoke condition throughout the entire residence and as firefighters made an aggressive push on the first-floor crews notified command that the second floor was clear with no occupants. Firefighters continue to knock down the heavy fire condition on the first floor. Crews began to ventilate the building through horizontal ventilation. Firefighters on the second floor, began to pull apart the walls to check if they had any extension into the second floor.

Firefighters on the first floor, notified command that the fire had been knocked down and they were checking for further extension and hotspots. Firefighters on the second floor conducted overhaul. Neighbors had helped by bringing in the pets from the home while firefighters worked on scene. Firefighters on the second floor, began to pull apart the wall area and expose a few hotspots. After a short period of time, firefighters exited the building to change their air bottles out and get a cup of water. Firefighters on scene were exhausted and recalls for additional personnel to cover the city of Cohoes, City of Watervliet, and the Village of Green Island. The Police Department on scene began to investigate the cause of the fire and work to assist the fire department in determining what caused the fire.

As firefighters were resting, heavy smoke began to push from the roof of the structure and the rear porch area. Firefighters made their way to the roof and began to conduct ventilation to expose fire that was hidden in the cockloft and the wall. Heavy black smoke began to push from the windows of the second floor and heavy fire began to push from the walls near the porch area in the rear of the structure. As firefighters made their way to the second floor again this time, they had thick heavy brown smoke banked down to the floor again as the fire hidden in the walls had taken off after receiving oxygen. In the rear portion of the porch firefighters had heavy fire rolling out the back door of the structure. Firefighters continue to make an aggressive push on the back porch as heavy fire pushed through the roof of the structure between the porch and the building.

Firefighters in the rear of the building began to pull apart the wall and expose the heavy fire running inside of the balloon frame structure. Firefighters on the second floor, began to conduct hydraulic ventilation to clear some of the heavy smoke condition inside of the building. As firefighters continued to work, there was a few small explosions in the rear of the building and firefighters backed out onto the landing for a short period of time. With heavy fire still running above them and crews on the roof working to vent the structure, command made the decision to go into master stream operations.

Additional firefighters began to arrive on scene from the recall and firefighters from the City of Cohoes and the Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department connected to a water supply, and after everyone was pulled from the building, firefighters went into master stream operations. Within about 15 minutes firefighters re-entered the structure and began to conduct extensive overhaul, knocking down all of the remaining fire. The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control arrived on scene and began to assist with the investigation into the fire. Due to the balloon frame structure and conditions inside of the home, it made it difficult for firefighters to locate the hidden fire in the wall, which led to the master stream operation. No firefighters were injured on scene. Firefighters remained on scene for an extended period of time conducting extensive overhaul. Fire Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. Firefighters went back into service later that evening. The American Redcross helped the occupants of the fire building after the fire.