Skip to main content

Alexander home destroyed by early morning fire

By Howard B. Owens

The home of Arnold and Norma Kirch, at 10551 Brookville Road in Alexander, was destroyed by fire this morning.

Smoke detectors woke the couple up at about 4:15 a.m. and they got out of the house safely and quickly.

However, fuel oil stored in the basement in a 150-gallon container spilled into a swamp area and into a tributary. The state's Department of Environmental Conservation has been called to the scene. Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator for Genesee County, said booms have been put in place to block the fuel oil from traveling downstream.

A 1,000-gallon fuel oil tank in the backyard also ruptured, but that spill has been contained.

Yaeger said Mr. Kirch said he thought the fire started in the garage and an assistant fire chief who lives nearby confirmed that observation.

The fire spread quickly, Yaeger said, because of the peaked-roof construction of the log cabin home.

Putting the fire out was hampered, Yaeger said, because of power lines in the area coming down and arcing.

The Alexander Fire Department worked the fire with mutual aid from Darien, Stafford, Town of Batavia, Bethany, East Pembroke and Attica. Inmates from the Wyoming Correctional Facility are on scene helping with clean up. No injuries to firefighters were reported.

Photo above sent from the cellphone camera of an unidentified reader.

UPDATE: WBTA spoke with Tim Yaeger at the scene. Listen.

UPDATE: Another reader submitted the photos below:

Chris Charvella

I grew up just down the street from the Kirsh family on Brookville Road. As a matter of fact, when my parents both worked very early in the morning they would drop me off at their house to get on the school bus with their daughter. I was happy to see that they made it out alright and I pray that they can begin the process of rebuilding very soon.

Aug 4, 2009, 12:06pm Permalink
Doug Yeomans

Wow..thank goodness they made it out and thank goodness the Kirsh's kept fresh batteries in their smoke detectors. From what I see in the pictures, this will be a total loss, clothes, belongings, pictures,everything. I just can't even imagine losing everything like that. My heart goes out to the Kirsh family.

Aug 4, 2009, 1:51pm Permalink
william tapp

so sorry for Arnold and Norma Kirsh, may god bless them, glad thay got out ok, fire is the worst thing to happen, lot of stiff cant be replaced.but thank god there ok.

Aug 4, 2009, 3:07pm Permalink
Greg Bruggman

I've known Arnie and Norma Kirch for quite some time...I used to work with Norma at K-Mart in Batavia. This is such a tragedy to the small community where they live, but thanks to my brother and sister firefighters from Alexander and the surrounding mutual aid responders for doing what they could and are trained to do quite well, I might add. I hope that, if not everything, the most important things, will be replaced. Thank God that the smoke alarms were going off and they both got out safely !! Arnie and Norma will be in my prayers for quite some time to heal from this awful experience.

Aug 4, 2009, 3:58pm Permalink

Authentically Local