Thomas Wood, 1st assistant chief for Le Roy Fire Department, a former chief and longtime volunteer with the company, can't remember a time when his department was called on to respond to back-to-back fires.
It didn't help that it was a fairly hot day and the second fire was fought from atop a metal roof.
His brother, Bill Wood, also a former chief, described the rooftop as "unbearably hot."
"That's why we called in Brockport and Avon and used the City's Fast Team as a regular fire unit," Wood said. "Most of our guys had already fought one fire. We were calling in extra units. Our guys were dropping from the heat."
The first fire was reported on Starr Road, Pavilion, at about 1:50 p.m. It involved a six-unit apartment complex and a quick response by Pavilion and Le Roy firefighters helped contain the fire to a single apartment.
The fire appears to have started in the kitchen area, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger. The cause remains under investigation.
Nobody was home at the time the fire was reported and residents in two other units were evacuated, including one who was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom and awoken by Deputy Chris Parker.
A dog may have perished in the fire, though several other pets were rescued.
The second fire, at a plastics factory on Lent Avenue, Le Roy, was reported about 3:10 p.m.
Most of Le Roy's equipment hadn't even cleared the Pavilion scene yet.
The Lent Avenue fire was sparked by a welder making repairs to the roof of the factory.
The fire burned about 40 feet down, Wood said. It produced quite a bit of smoke, but little flame.
"It's just an odd to have two, like hit that quick, and have to use so many people," Wood said.
There's no damage estimate available yet for either fire.
Bergen, Stafford and Caledonia also responded to the Lent Avenue fire.
The response to Pavilion also included Stafford, Bethany and Alexander along with the Office of Emergency Management.
Town of Batavia was asked to stand in at Stafford's fire hall.
Previously:
- Smoke coming from roof of Le Roy Plastics on Lent Avenue
- Apartment complex ablaze on Starr Road in Pavilion
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