CLIFTON PARK, NY – On August 30, 2025, at 9:44 PM, the Saratoga County Emergency Communication Center dispatched the Clifton Park Fire Department, along with Clifton Park Emergency Medical Services, to 600 London Square for a reported structure fire. The caller reported that the balcony was on fire.

The fire chief called en route to the scene and immediately notified the dispatcher that he observed a heavy column of smoke in the distance. He requested the transmission of a second alarm. Multiple police units arrived quickly and notified the dispatcher of a heavily involved balcony fire that was spreading. They began evacuating the structure.

Upon arrival, the fire chief transmitted a third alarm, reporting a well-involved three-story, multi-occupancy structure with heavy fire pushing through the roof and exposure concerns on both sides of the building. The third alarm brought mutual aid from the Jonesville Fire Department, Rexford Fire Department, Boght Fire Company, West Crescent Fire Department, Halfmoon-Waterford Fire Department, Malta Fire Department (standby), Round Lake Fire Department, Vischer Ferry Fire Department, Hillcrest Fire Department, Mechanicville Fire Department (standby), and additional units from Clifton Park Emergency Medical Services to the scene.

The chief met face-to-face with officers who had been evacuating the building. They confirmed that all occupants were out of the main fire building. The chief then advised them to begin evacuating the adjacent structure, as the siding was starting to melt due to the radiant heat and smoke from the main fire.

The first arriving engine company deployed a large-diameter hose to a hydrant and began stretching multiple hand lines. The next arriving truck company positioned at the front of the structure and began setting up. The first engine used its deck gun to knock down a significant portion of the fire, but this quickly depleted its water supply.

Firefighters attempted to open a nearby hydrant multiple times but could not remove the front steamer cap or side ears, as they had been painted over. They deployed hose lines to a second hydrant nearby and encountered the same issue. Additional engines arrived and supplied water from their tanks to support fire attack efforts. Another engine deployed a large-diameter hose from Route 146 into the scene.

Firefighters placed multiple 35-foot ladders to the rear of the structure to access the third floor, as the front stairwell had become inaccessible due to roof collapse from the intense fire load. While doing so, a firefighter managed to force open the front cap of the nearest hydrant, establishing a critical water supply.

With the new supply established, crews in the rear advanced to the top floor and used a hand line from the porch to knock down visible fire. Firefighters from the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) deployed ladders to the front, where crews were operating on the third floor. As those crews pulled back to the balcony, a truck company opened its master stream, quickly knocking down the remaining fire.

Crews re-entered the structure and performed a secondary search for remaining occupants or pets. Incident Command requested National Grid, a Fire Investigator, the American Red Cross, and the Jonesville Fire Department rehab bus to the scene. Once the master streams had knocked down all visible fire, Command ordered them shut down to allow interior crews to resume operations on the third floor.

Firefighters continued working on the third floor for an extended period and checked lower levels for fire extension. Crews were able to contain the fire to one side of the apartment complex, limiting damage to the adjacent structure, which sustained only siding damage.

Firefighters remained on scene into the early morning hours, conducting extensive overhaul as investigators worked to determine the fire’s cause. Multiple residents and pets were displaced. One person was evaluated at the scene for injuries but was released without transport. No firefighters were injured.

The cause of the fire was determined to be a discarded cigarette on the porch.