fire

(This photo from the scene was provided from reader Joel R. Murcin.)

A fully involved barn fire "with lots of smoke" is reported in Pavilion at the Schumacher's Kelkenberg's barn, thought to be located at 11338 11304 Starr Road. The location is between River and Hudson roads.

Alexander, Bethany, Town of Batavia's Fast Team, and Pavilion are responding along with units from Wyoming County. They are asked to draw water from Pearl Creek.

Bergen will stand in at Pavilion's fire hall.

UPDATE 8:31 p.m.: National Grid has been notified that there are power lines on the ground and it will respond ASAP.

UPDATE 8:45 p.m.: Fire police are asked to shut down traffic at Route 63 and Starr Road.

UPDATE 8:53 p.m.: Le Roy Fire Department is also responding as is Caledonia's.

UPDATE 8:56 p.m.: York's pumper is on scene and will be drawing water from the "first hydrant in the village," because getting an adequate water supply to fight the fire is proving problematic. The natural gas line in the barn is shut off.

UPDATE 8:58 p.m.: Monroe County is being notified they are tapping into hyrdrants. The water in the creek is said to be low, yet the amount to be had from the hydrants is also said to be limited. Now, they have enough water flow from the Hanson Aggregates mining facility. "We have plenty of it now." Warsaw crews have arrived.

UPDATE 9:06 p.m.: The top of a utility pole is on fire, directly across from where firefighters are working. Le Roy's auxiliary is called to provide cold drinks to the firefighters.

UPDATE 9:09 p.m.: They will employ the ladder brought by Warsaw to wipe out fire on one side of the barn, allowing those on the ground using hoses to concentrate on the other areas.

UPDATE 9:22 p.m.: The Town of Batavia's Fast Team is released from duty.

UPDATE 9:28 p.m.: Since the water supply from Hanson's is proving adequate, they are going to shut down the hand lines connected to fire hydrants.

UPDATE 9:58 p.m.: Cold beverages have arrived for the crews.

UPDATE 11:25 p.m. (by Howard): Fire crews are still on scene.The fire is knocked down but tankers continue to bring water to the scene to deal with what's left of the smoldering remains of the barn. Below are more pictures submitted by Joel R. Murcin. I was also out at the scene and will have a report with photos later tonight.

UPDATE 12:21 a.m.: Le Roy units returning to their hall.

Ah, the fall semester nears. Is that burnt food emanating from College Village? Why yes, it is. Room 203 in Spruce Hall. The college has confirmed it is burnt food. And the Town of Batavia now musters a fire crew to respond.

UPDATE 2:39 p.m.: The fire department confirmed the confirmation that food was burning inside Room 203 at Spruce Hall. It is back in service.

A trash can is on fire under the pavilion at the Veterans Memorial Park on South Main Street. Elba Fire Department is responding

Black smoke is reported in the area of East Main Street Road and Broadlawn Avenue and the Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding to investigate.

UPDATE 7:36 p.m.: It is deemed a controlled burn. "We're all set here." Town of Batavia is back in service.

Firefighters and equipment from Alexander, Bethany and Darien are heading to Wyoming County to provide mutual aid at a structure fire at 1136 Creek Road in Attica, which is off Lindsey Road.

A general fire alarm sounded at the Jell-O Gallery Museum at 23 E. Main St., Le Roy, after a child pulled the alarm and people on site don't know how to shut it off. There is no smoke or fire and the alarm company is in contact with county emergency dispatch.

The building has been evacuated nonetheless and an officer on scene says a large crowd is gathered there. Le Roy Fire and Ambulance is responding.

UPDATE 1:30 p.m.: "The alarm doesn't seem to be resetting itself," says a police officer. "I'm leaving the scene, back in service." The fire department is on scene.

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: The alarm has been reset.

A fire is reported at an automotive shop at Route 5 and Linwood Road in Le Roy, which has firefighters on scene.

The fire is concentrated at the back side of the north end of the building, and "a big hole will be opened" to accommodate firefighting efforts.

According to Google Maps, the likely shop is Rider's Garage, located at 8980 Linwood Road near East Main Road (Route 5).

UPDATE 9:45 p.m.: The address is reported as 8171 Route 5, which maps as Carl McQuillen Racing Engines.

UPDATE 9:48 p.m.: Pavilion fire is requested to the scene non-emergency and Stafford is also responding.

UPDATE 9:53 p.m.: National Grid has cut power to the building.

UPDATE 10:12 p.m.: An engine from the Town of Batavia is also responding. A crew is being directed to head up into the attic to check for hot spots.

UPDATE 11:17 p.m.: A second interior crew is going to go into the attic.

A grass fire is reported in the area of Cookson and Dorman roads. Alexander Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 8:57 p.m.: The area is said to be near the old Foster residence or Foster Farm. It wasn't much of a blaze. They couldn't find it at first, then indicated the responders on scene would suffice. "Are you going to stomp it out?", a firefighter asks. "Doing it now," is the reply. Mission accomplished. Fire is out. Alexander is back in service. 

A fire on the outside of a train car is reported by the railroad crossing at Seven Springs Road. Stafford Fire Department is responding. Someone was said to be using an extinguisher on it. "Looks like a brake fire and it's going pretty good" said a responder at the scene. But then they found it was coming from a traction motor which is attached to a 5,000-gallon tank full of diesel fuel.

UPDATE 5:19 p.m.: The blaze is on west side of the tracks. Fire police are going to shut down Seven Springs Road.

UPDATE 5:25 p.m.: Town of Batavia Fire Department is also responding.

UPDATE 5:31 p.m.: The roadway will be closed at East Main and Seven Springs roads. A fireman says there's rubber burning underneath on one side. "We might be able to yank it right out -- the part that's burning," which is said to be a bellows. The CSX railroad line is shut down for now and a CSX worker is at the scene. There appears to be no indication of any kind of leakage or either gas or oil.

UPDATE 5:42 p.m.: The fire commander said the fire is contained to the bellows of a motor that spread to the structure of the car. They expect to be able to put it out shortly. No fuel lines were affected. The commander asks whether CSX plans to start up the train soon and, if so, recommends fire personnel remain on scene to confirm there are no more safety issues.

UPDATE 5:51 p.m.: CSX is giving the go-ahead to open the tracks. The fire is apparently out.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: All Stafford units are back in service.

UPDATE 6:06 p.m.: All Town of Batavia units are back in service and the roadway is reopened.

A fire is reported on the front porch of 69 Maple Ave., Oakfield.

Oakfield Fire Department is responding.

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A field fire is reported at Maple and Ledge roads. Alabama Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 4:53 p.m.: A responder on scene says the fire is near the gravel pit on hill or berm.

UPDATE 4:58 p.m.: The fire is out.

An oven fire is reported at 2683 County Line Road in Darien. The residents used a fire extinguisher on the blaze but it's unknown if that was effective. They were advised to leave the residence. Darien fire, with mutual aid from Corfu, is responding.

UPDATE 4:41 p.m.: A responder on scene reports nothing is showing (outside). The address is just north of Sumner Road. The residents are in the back yard. The house "is charged with fire (inside)" and the fireman says it looks "like a cake boiled over." The other unit responding is proceeding in non-emergency mode. They're going to check things out with a thermal-imaging camera.

UPDATE 4:53 p.m.: It was burnt food. All units back in service.

A possible structure fire is reported at 33 Swan St., the old Wiard Plow building.

Only one caller reporting the possible fire.

City fire is responding.

UPDATE 4:28 p.m.(by Billie): City Engine 15 is back in quarters.

UPDATE 4:58 p.m.: A matteress was on fire when city firefighters arrived on scene. Firefighters gained quick entry to the building and put out the fire before it spread. A witness reported seeing a youth on a bicycle leaving the scene just before the smoke was spotted. Batavia PD is investigating the incident.

A feed truck at Lamb Farms on Albion Road, Oakfield, is reportedly on fire.

Oakfiled Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 10:09 a.m.: A chief on scene reports a working truck fire.

UPDATE 10:15 a.m.: Fire knocked down.

A caller reports to emergency dispatch that flames 20- to 30-feet high are shooting from a stand in the parking lot of Ferrellgas at 655 Ellicott St. City fire personnel on scene say it looks like a controlled burn. An off-duty firefighter reported that a "burn off" was being conducted at the company.

A hot circuit breaker has been reported inside an apartment at the Royal Apartments, 103 West Main St., Le Roy.

A Le Roy chief on scene reports, "we have a very hot circuit breaker."

He's requested a thermal camera into the building to see if it extends up the wall.

Bergen's ladder truck is requested to the scene mutual aid.

UPDATE 5:59 p.m.: A chief informs dispatch "we're all set here," just waiting on maintenance.

UPDATE 6:09 p.m.: Le Roy and Bergen back in service.

A brush fire is reported to be 20 feet away from a residence at 7012 Maple Road. Alabama Fire Department is responding. The location is between Knowlesville and Ledge roads. The fire chief on scene reports it is currently confined to a hedgerow and "as long as the wind is cooperating" it should remain there while they proceed to put it out.

UPDATE 1:07 p.m.: The fire is under control.

UPDATE 1:36 p.m.: The fire is out. Alabama is back in service.

A fence is reportedly on fire at 21 North St. City firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 2:50 p.m.: The fire is out.

With moderate drought conditions in Genesee County, state and local officials are warning residents of unsafe fire conditions.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a statewide residential open-fire ban last week, and today, Tim Yaeger, Genesee County Emergency Services, urged residents to use caution with any type of fire.

While a small cooking or camping fire is permitted, larger fires, such as a bonfire are out of the question, Yaeger said.

All fires should be no closer than 50 feet to a structure and some sort of extinguishing agent should be within 50 feet of the fire.

"That's the New York Fire code anyway, but we don't want to wind up with the possibility of a fire spreading," Yaeger said.

This time of year, the kind of open burns associated with rural areas and agriculture aren't too common, but people still might be tempted to start fires for recreational purposes and in those cases, extreme caution is in order.

On average, Batavia received about 3.5 inches of rain in July. So far this month, not even a half inch has fallen and precipitation totals for the year are off by more than six inches from average.

The lack of precipitation creates another problem for firefighters -- less available water to fight fires in areas without municipal water.

Typically, when there are no hydrants to connect to, firefighters draw water from nearby creeks and retention ponds.

Yaeger said what he's seen of retention ponds and other standing water sources is that water levels remain adequate but are getting low.

Drawing water from brooks and streams right now might be more difficult for firefighters.

"Brooks and streams are pretty much out of service right now," Yaeger said. "Luckily, in this county, with the additional municipal water services has eased the burden from what it was 10 or 15 years ago."

If there is a fire with current water supply conditions in an area without municipal water, Yaeger said, it will mean scene commanders will need to request additional tankers from mutual-aid departments in order to maintain an adequate water supply to fight any type of fire.

All residential brush burning is banned in the state through Oct. 10.

In issuing the ban, Cuomo said, "These conditions should not be taken lightly. The potential for disastrous wildfires is present in all areas of the state and we must do whatever we can to prevent fires from occurring.

"The state will continue to closely monitor the wildfire danger and we will deploy whatever resources are necessary to protect New Yorkers should a critical situation occur."

A grass fire is reported in the woods behind the College Village apartments. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding. College Village is located at 8170 Batavia Stafford Townline Road.