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House on Prune Street heavily damage from fire that started in garage

By Howard B. Owens
10 prune street fire

There were no injuries, not to the residents, firefighters, nor to the family pets in a fire at 10 Prune St., Batavia, this evening, but there was significant damage to the residence, said City Fire Chief Josh Graham.

The garage, where the fire started, is a total loss.

"There is significant damage to the second story," Graham said. "It's pretty well a total loss, and there is a lot of water and smoke damage on the first floor."

Graham said City Fire received a call at about 6:22 p.m. of smoke coming from the garage.

"Crews saw smoke as soon as they pulled out of the fire station (on Evans Street)," Graham said. "When they got on scene, the garage was fully involved with an extension into the house. They declared a second alarm, and the Town of Batavia responded, Elba responded."

The residents were out of the house, and a dog and cat also escaped safely, Graham said.

The streets are narrow, and houses are close together in the Prune Street neighborhood. The Tully's parking lot was right behind the house. That made it tight quarters to maneuver trucks and fight the fire.

Unloading hoses quickly and getting them into place quickly was difficult.

"One thing I will say is there's a house down here with a 16-year-old that came out and saw us struggling to pull a hose down, and he grabbed ahold of that hose and helped pull the hose down," Graham said. "Moving all that hose, getting everything in place with everything else around in the house was the hardest part."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A neighboring house sustained some heat damage.

Property tax records indicate the house is owned by James and Peggy Benedict. It was built in 1900 and remodeled in 1970. 

(Initial Report)

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

10 prune street fire
10 prune street fire
10 prune street fire
10 prune street fire
10 prune street fire

Photos below by Frank Capuano.

10 prune street fire
10 prune street fire
10 prune street fire

House fire reported on Colorado Avenue, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens
18 colorado avenue fire

A house fire is reported at 18 Colorado Ave., Batavia 

City Fire dispatched. Second alarm for Alexander, Town of Batavia, Elba, City home monitors.

UPDATE 2:54 a.m.: The fire seems to have been knocked down.

UPDATE 4:32 a.m.: Firefighters do not believe the house was occupied. There is as of yet no information available on cause or origin.  City Fire initially received a call for the smell of smoke in the area of East Main Street and Masse Place. A firefighter said it smelled like a house was burning somewhere.  Then a call reported a structure fire at 18 Colorado Avenue. The house was fully involved when City Fire arrived on scene.

UPDATE: Press release:

On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, the City of Batavia Fire Department responded to a report of smoke in the area of Masse Place and East Main in the City.  As crews were searching for the source, City of Batavia Police discovered a residential structure on fire at 18 Colorado Avenue. Initial fire units arrived to find fire showing from the front of a two story, single family home.  Fire crews entered the home to perform searches for any occupants and extinguish the fire. Searches for occupants were negative. The fire caused significant damage to the majority of the structure, the remaining portions suffered smoke and water damage. No one was home at the time of the fire. One cat perished in the blaze.  

No injuries were reported. 

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by City of Batavia Fire Department.   

The City of Batavia Fire Department was assisted by the City of Batavia Police, Codes Department, and Water Department as well as the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center, the Town of Batavia Fire Department, the Elba Fire Department, and Oakfield Fire Department. 

Photos by Howard Owens

18 colorado avenue fire
18 colorado avenue fire
18 colorado avenue fire
18 colorado avenue fire

Smoke in the building reported at Alex's Place in Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

Smoke in the building is reported at Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road.

The building is being evacuated.

Town of  Batavia Fire responding.

UPDATE 5:01 p.m.: The fire is out. Somebody on location used a fire extinguisher. There is smoke in the building.

UPDATE 5:09 p.m.: Confirmed. The fire is out. Firefighters are ventilating. 

Boom and smoke, pickup truck reportedly on fire in field in Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

A caller reported hearing a large boom and seeing a cloud of black smoke behind S&S Limousine at 7160 West Main Road, Le Roy.

A second caller reports a pickup truck on fire in a backfield.

Le Roy Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 7:32 p.m.: A fire investigator is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:42 p.m.: Fire is knocked down.

Residential units in Bergen filled with smoke

By Howard B. Owens

A four-unit residential complex at 6163 North Lake Road, Bergen, is reportedly filled with smoke.

There is smoke in the basement.

The units have been evacuated except for one unit, which may not be occupied.

Bergen Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 2:42 p.m.: Possible hot water tank fire that is now out.

Porch fire reported on North Road, Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

A porch fire is reported at 7959 North Road, Le Roy.

That's between Conlon Road and Lake Street. 

Le Roy Fire, along with Bergen and City of Batavia, dispatched.

Photos: City fire responds to report of porch fire on Ellicott Street

By Howard B. Owens
ellicott street table fire

A piece of furniture, apparently from a discarded cigarette, caught on fire while sitting on a porch at 416 Ellicott Ave., Batavia, at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.

City Fire responded and quickly extinguished the fire.

The initial call was for a porch fire.

Photos by Frank Capuano.

ellicott street table fire
ellicott street table fire
ellicott street table fire

Fire reported in the area of DeWitt Recreation Area

By Howard B. Owens
DeWitt brush fire 6/4/23
A brush fire at DeWitt Recreation Area in Batavia burned through an estimated one to one and a half acres late Sunday afternoon. Photo by Howard Owens.

A brush fire is reported in DeWitt Recreation Area, off West Main Street, behind WNY Concrete and Upson Maybach.

City Fire is on scene.

UPDATE by Joanne Beck 4:19 p.m.: The third platoon has been recalled to city headquarters and the Town of Batavia Fire brush truck has been requested to the scene. 

UPDATE by Joanne Beck 4:45 p.m.: The fire is mostly knocked down after burning one to one and a half acres. The cause of origin is unknown at this time. 

DeWitt brush fire 6/4/23
Photo by Howard Owens.
DeWitt brush fire 6/4/23
Photo by Howard Owens.
giret photo
Photo by Howard Owens.
fire
Photo by Howard Owens.
fire
Photo by Howard Owens.

Mulch fire sparked by speaker at McDonald's drive through on West Main

By Howard B. Owens

A caller reports smoking coming from the order speaker in the drive-through of McDonald's, 4138 West Main St., Batavia.

The fire is spreading to mulch.

City Fire responding.

UPDATE 3:57 p.m.: City Fire confirms a mulch fire. Firefighters are putting it out.

UPDATE 4:13 p.m.: Fire extinguished. City Fire back in service.

Controlled burn spreading toward barn in Pavilion

By Howard B. Owens

A controlled burn at 7833 Walker Road, Pavilion, is now reportedly out of control and spreading toward a barn.

The fire is about 20 feet from the structure.

Pavilion Fire dispatched.

The spring burn ban has been lifted, but the National Weather Service has an advisory for dry and windy conditions in place warning of elevated fire danger.

UPDATE 4:22 p.m.: Le Roy Fire asked to standby in the Le Roy hall.

Barn fire in Darien contained but volunteer firefighter 'crisis' continues says Yaeger

By Howard B. Owens
sumner road barn fire darien

Strong winds, no fire hydrants, and the ongoing shortage of volunteer firefighters made today's barn fire in Darien a bit more challenging to fight, said Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator for Genesee County.

The fire was reported at about 8:30 a.m. at 2044 Sumner Road, Darien, a 9.4-acre residential parcel owned by David Keller that contained multiple barns and other out structures, all mostly built in the 1950s and 1960s.

Yaeger said an investigation found that the source of the fire was a fire started by the homeowners to the southwest of the barn that caught fire.  Yaeger said the wind changed direction, and embers flew into the barn causing combustible items in the barn to catch fire.

The barn was in disrepair, Yaeger said, and damage to the west side of the barn exposed the interior to the flying embers.

The fire spread and expanded quickly because of the wind, Yaeger said.

There were no injuries, either to residents or firefighters, Yaeger said.  There were no livestock or domestic animals involved in the fire.

Darien Fire was initially dispatched to the fire (follow the link for more photos).

Multiple tankers for surrounding departments, including Corfu, East Pembroke, and Alexander, were dispatched.  The tankers were necessary, Yaeger said, because that part of Darien does not have public water, and there are no fire hydrants in the area.

The need for tankers increases the need for volunteer firefighters, and those are in short supply at the start of a weekday workday, so getting enough manpower to the scene today was an issue, Yaeger said.

Darien Fire, in particular, has been dealing recently with a lack of volunteers.

The lack of volunteers, he said, again illustrates the crisis situation for local fire companies.

"It's still a real concern of mine," Yaeger said. "I applaud the City of Batavia Fire Department for being a real partner with us.  We've got to do something to increase the number of volunteers."

He said a lot of volunteers are aging out, and many who are showing up have been volunteers for 30, 40, or even 50 years, and they do what they can.

"They're still proud of their service to their communities, but we need a new message to bring out younger volunteers to join their ranks," Yaeger said.

Still, even with the challenges, the fire departments on scene were able to have half of a secondary structure that caught fire, as well as the rest of the structures on the property, including the house.

"The house wasn't damaged at all," Yaeger said.

Burn ban ends today but National Weather Service warns of elevated fire danger for region

By Howard B. Owens

The annual spring ban on controlled burns and open fires ends today, but the National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement warning of an elevated fire risk for the region.

Statement: 

A combination of dry conditions and wind today will create an elevated risk of wildfire spread across western and north central New York. Relative humidity values will drop to as low as 15 to 25 percent, with winds gusting up to 35 mph at times. Despite the recent green-up, these conditions may allow for rapid spread of fires if ignition occurs.

Barn fire reported on Sumner Road, Darien

By Howard B. Owens
sumner road barn fire darien

A barn fire is reported at 2044 Sumner Road, Darien.

Darien Fire, Corfu Fire, and Alexander Fire, along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

A second alarm has been sounded for East Pembroke, Town of Batavia and City Fire's FAST Team.

UPDATE 10:20 a.m.: When The Batavian left the scene 20 minutes ago, firefighters were still battling with hot spots, and officials at the fire were not yet ready to release information.  The cause of the fire has not been confirmed yet. 

sumner road barn fire darien
sumner road barn fire darien
sumner road barn fire darien
sumner road barn fire darien
sumner road barn fire darien
sumner road barn fire darien
sumner road barn fire darien
sumner road barn fire darien

Structure fire reported on Manhattan Avenue

By Howard B. Owens
manhattan avenue fire 2023

Flames and smoke are showing from a second floor at 39 Manhattan Ave., Batavia.

Unknown if occupied.

City Fire on scene.

UPDATE 10:12 a.m.: Fire is out.  Visually, no apparent significant damage to the structure. 

UPDATE 11:32 a.m.: The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Chief Josh Graham. Nobody was home at the time of the fire, and there were no animals present, Graham said. No injuries reported. "At approximately 9:46 this morning, we are alerted to a possible structure fire," Graham said. "Before we arrived on location, they called and updated us and said there was actual flame showing. Crews made entry and quickly extinguish it. It was a small room-and-contents fire on the second story. Right now, they're doing salvage and overhaul through the structure."

Graham praised the work of the firefighters. "We were actually given a tour at the fire station at the time. And so they were out ready to go and got here within a couple of minutes, and that speaks volumes to our ability to be able to go in there and knock these fires out before they get out of hand. They did a fantastic job today."

manhattan avenue fire 2023
manhattan avenue fire 2023
manhattan avenue fire 2023
manhattan avenue fire 2023
Batavia City Fire Chief Josh Graham.

 

Open fire reported on Edwards Street, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

An open fire is reported in the backyard at a residence on Edwards Street, Batavia.

It's the second open burn City Fire is responding to tonight.

There's a burn ban in effect until May 14.

UPDATE 10:31 p.m.: Fire is out. The Resident advised the fire was not permitted. City Fire is back in service.

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