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Second-Alarm Raging Garage Fire in Waterford

This article is a direct street report from our correspondent and has not been edited by the 1st Responder newsroom.

WATERFORD, NY - On September 27th at 8:58 P.M., the Northside Fire Department with Waterford Rescue Squad was dispatched to 10 Fairview Avenue for multiple calls for a reported structure fire with heavy smoke showing from the garage. As the Fire Chief left his home, a heavy column of smoke with heavy fire was visible off in the distance and as he pulled out of his driveway and down his street, he immediately transmitted the second-alarm.


The second-alarm brought additional mutual aid from the Waterford Fire Department, Boght Community Fire Company for the FAST Team, Halfmoon-Waterford Fire Department, the Saratoga Fire Coordinator to the scene. Upon arrival, the fire chief had heavy fire pushing from a multi-story garage in the rear of the building, and heavy fire pushing over the top of the house. He began to evacuate the main home while police evacuated the structure around it. Multiple small explosions occurred inside of the garage. The fire chief notified the dispatcher that he had multiple exposure issues and a secondary structure in danger of catching fire.


The first arriving engine on scene immediately laid in from the fire hydrant nearby and firefighters deployed a two-and-a-half-inch hand line with a blitz fire to the end of the driveway. Additional firefighters deployed a hand line around the other side of the structure and began to work to stop the spread of fire from the garage to any other structures. As firefighters deployed additional hand lines to the rear of the structure, the heavy fire condition continued to rage and could be seen from as far away in the clear night sky as the city of Troy’s Congress Street bridge. Firefighters laid in an additional supply line from another street to make sure that they had an adequate water supply. As firefighters were utilizing a hand line on the 'Bravo' side of the structure, they hit fuel that had burned through its container, causing a quick flash up. Firefighters began to remove heavy debris alongside of the garage that had burned through and collapsed.


As firefighters were doing so, the garage walls began to shake and command had them stop and move away from the wall for safety reasons. Within 20 minutes, firefighters had the entire incident under control and began to conduct overhaul on the collapsed garage. Firefighters checked the main house for any extension as they had melted siding. During the incident, one of the supply lines leading into the scene was ran over by a vehicle, resulting in that supply line being shut down and taken out of service. Firefighters in the rear of the structure conducted a check of the nearby structure next to the garage for any extension, and were able to determine that there was only smoke inside of the building. Firefighters remained on scene for an extended period of time conducting extensive overhaul into the late evening hours.


The fire is under investigation at this time, and no cause has been released publicly. No injuries were reported from the homeowners. Firefighters went back into service just after 11:30 P.M.


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JEFFREY BELSCHWINDERSenior Correspondent

No information from the author.