TROY, NY - On December 3, 2023, at 4:39 P.M., the City of Troy’s Fire Department was dispatched to 251 4th Street for a reported structure fire. Engine 6, Truck 2, Truck 1, Engine 4, Engine 2, Medic 4, the rescue squad, and the battalion chief responded to the scene. The caller reported a fire in the ceiling and that the house was being evacuated. The battalion chief, arriving on scene within two minutes of the dispatch, immediately transmitted the Signal 30 for a working structure fire as he had heavy smoke pushing from the building. The chief notified the dispatcher that he had a three-story, multi-occupancy structure with heavy smoke showing from the third-floor.

Engine 6, being only a few blocks away, quickly arrived on scene and firefighters immediately deployed a one-and-three-quarter-inch hand line to the front door of the structure. Command requested Truck 1 to come down the street the wrong way and set up in front of the structure. Truck 2 immediately pulled behind Engine 6 and began to set up the truck company. Firefighters from the additional engine companies and the rescue squad quickly arrived on scene and began to establish the water supply from the nearby hydrant. Firefighters on the fire floor notified command that they believed they had fire traveling up into the cockloft of the building and command requested the transmission of the second-alarm, bringing the City of Watervliet’s Fire Department, Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department, and Engine 3 to the scene. Truck 1 arrived on scene and began to set up in the middle of the roadway. With only inches between the outriggers and the cars, Truck 1 was able to successfully set up.

Firefighters on the fire floor requested the hand line to be charged and an additional hand line to be brought up the stairs. Firefighters from the truck company began to vent the roof of the structure, as they had a heavy smoke condition pushing from the vent hole. Firefighters on the fire floor notified command that the fire was in the center of the building, and they were working to pull the ceilings and requesting additional manpower to the fire floor. Command, noticing there was smoke pushing from the adjacent structure, requested the mutual aid companies to make entry to the structure and evacuate all of the occupants. Firefighters on the fire floor of the primary building began to knock down the heavy fire condition in the ceiling area. Firefighters in the secondary building notified command that everybody was evacuated, and there was only residual smoke in the attic area from the building next door.

Firefighters on Truck 2 notified command that they still had a pretty good moderate smoke condition pushing from the vent holes, and the fire was still in the front of the building. Firefighters on the primary fire floor notified command that they were making heavy progress in knocking down the fire and crews were still continuing to pull the ceilings. The truck company on the roof notified command that they had fire showing in between the walls of the building. Firefighters on the fire floor were able to quickly knock down that heavy fire condition in between the buildings. Once firefighters were able to knock down the remaining fire, crews began to conduct extensive overhaul of the fire floor. Additional firefighters from the adjacent structure exited the building and reported to the staging area. Firefighters from Truck 1 came off the roof and began to get themselves back in service, as they would be the only truck company in service in the city.

Command notified the dispatcher that the fire was under control in less than 25 minutes. Fire investigators arrived on scene and began to conduct their investigation into what caused the fire. No injuries were reported. The main fire building suffered extensive damage from the fire. Firefighters from the Troy Fire Department remained on scene for an extended period of time before going back into service. No firefighters were injured during the fire.