TROY, NY - On September 21st at 4:16 AM, the City of Troy Fire Department was dispatched to 181 6th Avenue for a reported basement fire. Engine 4, Engine 1, Engine 2, Truck 1, Truck 2, Medic 4, the Rescue Squad, and the Battalion Chief responded to the scene. Car 3 and Engine 4 arrived on scene with smoke showing from a two-story, wood-frame, multi-occupancy structure and immediately declared a signal 30 for a working structure fire. Firefighters deployed a 1¾-inch hand line to the front door as additional units arrived and began setting up at the hydrant to supply Engine 4 with water.

Conditions on the second floor rapidly began to change as heavy, black, turbulent smoke pushed from the second floor while the truck companies were setting up. Firefighters made an initial push inside the first floor, where they encountered significant fire conditions in the walls. Command, noting the rapid changes and exposure issues, transmitted a second alarm, bringing the Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department, City of Watervliet Fire Department, Engine 6, and the Green Island Fire Department to the scene. Firefighters attempted to locate the fire in the basement but were unsuccessful, then continued up the stairs to the second floor. A firefighter on the first floor notified command that the fire was traveling in the floor between the first and second floors and through the walls.

As additional hand lines were deployed and crews attempted to advance up the stairwell, a significant smoke and heat condition pushed down on them. Command ordered all personnel to back out of the structure. At that time, the second floor ignited, with heavy fire pushing from the windows and roof line. Command requested evacuation tones be transmitted, and firefighters sounded the apparatus horns to ensure all personnel exited the building. Once crews were clear, multiple hand lines were quickly deployed, and the pump operator on Engine 4 operated the deck gun to knock down the heavy fire on the second floor. Roof crews immediately began venting the structure to release superheated gases. Defensive tactics were used briefly before firefighters re-entered the structure to aggressively attack the remaining seat of the fire.

Multiple hand lines were deployed to the second floor while first-floor crews conducted a primary search, rescuing several cats. Second-floor crews continued interior operations for an extended period, opening ceilings and walls to locate hidden fire. Roof crews reported a significant fire condition traveling the attic line, and a 1¾-inch hand line was deployed from the truck company’s bucket to knock down the fire from a vent hole at the front of the structure. Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department personnel conducted vertical ventilation on the rear of the structure. Green Island Fire Department personnel deployed a hand line to the second floor and extinguished hotspots as crews opened the front porch area and the interior of the second floor.

Firefighters continued operations for an extended period before locating and rescuing one additional cat. National Grid disconnected gas and power to the structure, and the City of Troy Water Department monitored the scene for any disruptions in the water supply. Firefighters continued firefighting efforts into the early morning, extinguishing hotspots and conducting extensive overhaul. Fire investigators arrived on scene to determine the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not been publicly released.