RENSSELAER, NY - On December 5, 2021 at 1:40 P.M., the City of Rensselaer Fire Department was dispatched to 1204 3rd Street for multiple calls reporting a fully involved structure fire with entrapment inside the building.

As firefighters were being dispatched to the scene heavy fire and black smoke could be seen from multiple blocks away. Two massive explosions occurred on the 'Bravo' side of the house, sending a plume of thick black smoke into the afternoon sky.

City of Rensselaer's Car 2 arrived on scene to a well involved structure fire with heavy fire pushing 20-feet into the air and immediately declared a Signal 30. A second-alarm was requested shortly after, bringing the Defreestville FD as the FAST, Clinton Heights FD, and the East Greenbush FD to the scene with manpower. The Wynantskill FD provided a cover assignment for the city of Rensselaer.

The scene commander was able to confirm that they had entrapment in the building. The first arriving engine on scene immediately grabbed the nearest hydrant and firefighters deployed a hand line to the front door of the structure. As the search crew of firefighters made their way to the front door of the house thick black and brown smoke pushed from the windows and a significant amount of heat pushed down at firefighters from the front door of the house. The search crew began to immediately search the building for the trapped individual inside of the home.

As the search crew continued to search the house with smoke banked down and heavy fire in the rear of the home, the hand line crews made their way deeper inside the structure and began to make an aggressive knock down of the heavy fire condition. The FAST team arrived on scene and began to set up in front of the building. As crews were setting up, the interior crew that was conducting the primary search called out on the radio and notified command that they had found the victim and they were coming out. The search crew made the push with the victim to the front door of the house where crew members from the FAST team and additional arriving firefighters assisted with getting the victim out and over to an awaiting ambulance.

The crew from Mohawk Ambulance immediately took off to Albany Memorial Hospital, as it was the closest hospital for stabilization of the patient. Firefighters from the arriving crews grabbed additional hand lines and made their way inside the house to assist with knocking down any remaining fire. Firefighters made their way to the rear of the building, put a ladder against the structure and began to flow water into the attic area.

Firefighters inside the structure were able to bring the fire under control in about 20 minutes and then began to conduct extensive overhaul of the badly damaged home. Command requested fire investigators to the scene of the incident.

Crews remained on scene for an extensive period of time conducting overhaul of the severely damaged home. The victim that was discovered in the house was transferred from Albany Memorial Hospital to Albany Medical Center, where he was later transferred to the Westchester burn center. He was listed in stable condition at the time of this story.

Fire investigators are currently working to determine the cause of the fire. No other injuries were reported.