A family lost all personal belongings as well as three dogs and six cats in a house fire this morning at 37 Maple St., Batavia.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
"A neighbor said a fire and I was going, just 20 different things going on, I didn't know what was going on," said Marlene Hartford about the start of the fire.
She lived at the house, she said, with her daughter, son-in-law (who wasn't home at the time), and two grandchildren.
Hartford said the family, which had lived on Maple Street for three years, did not have renter's insurance. Chief Stefano Napolitano said Red Cross will provide temporary shelter, clothing and food.
Press release:
At 10:38 a.m. on March 30, the City of Batavia Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire located at 37 Maple St. The first arriving fire units were on scene at 10:40 a.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy fire involvement on the southeast corner of the home, extending from the first floor to the attic. Responding crews made an aggressive, coordinated exterior and interior attack and were able to confine and contain the fire to the interior of the home. The situation was called under control by on-scene fire command at 11:21 a.m.
Due to the intensity of the fire, the home received significant heat damage throughout, along with smoke and water damage. Additionally, three dogs and six cats perished in the fire.
At this time the City of Batavia’s Fire Investigation team with assistance from the City of Batavia Police Department’s Detective Bureau is investigating the fire to determine the origin and cause.
City fire was assisted at the scene by Mercy EMS, City of Batavia Police Department’s road patrol and Detective Bureau, City of Batavia Bureau of Inspection, Bureau of Maintenance and Water Department, along with the Town of Batavia and Darien fire departments, with additional support provided by the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch, National Fuel and National Grid.
City Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano comforts Bentley Sherman, who lived at the residence with his mother and grandmother.
