fire

A working house fire is reported at 1 Union St. in the City of Batavia. City fire is responding. Many calls have come in on this. The location is at the corner of West Main Street.

It's a two-story house and the upstairs is on fire. All off-duty firefighters are also called in, and the Town of Batavia Fast Team. One person on the first floor remains unaccounted for.

UPDATE 7:19 p.m.: A Mercy ambulance is called.

UPDATE 7:21 p.m.: The missing person has been accounted for and is safe. National Grid is called in.

UPDATE 7:24 p.m.: The chief says "We've got a good knock down on this fire. Heavy smoke throughout. Checking for extensions."

UPDATE 7:27 p.m.: Alexander firefighters are called to fill in at the city station.

UPDATE 7:29 p.m.: There's fire in the basement. There's no fire in the attic now, but there's still heat. The fire on the first floor is out. They've got three water lines on the house.

UPDATE 7:31 p.m.: They've broken out the basement windows and the basement fire is mostly extinguished. They have not yet cut the power at the panel box "too much debris." They are having trouble locating the gas line to shut it off. They are going to put fans out front to help blow away the smoke.

UPDATE 7:34 p.m.: They've found the gas line and shut it off. In the basement, the electrical panel which contains the circuit breakers has melted.

UPDATE 7:44 p.m.: The second floor fire is out, including some extension into a wall.

UPDATE 7:45 p.m.: "The homeowner's pretty sure it started on the stove, in the kitchen there."

UPDATE 7:51 p.m.: National Grid has arrived.

UPDATE 7:55 p.m.: National Grid has shut off the power. A building inspector is called in as is the American Red Cross to assist one occupant.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: The building is owned by Terry Platt. The occupant is Doug Veltz.

UPDATE 8:03 p.m.: The Red Cross is expected to arrive in about 15 minutes.

UPDATE 8:32 p.m.: Town of Batavia's Fast Team is released from the assignment.

UPDATE 9:04 p.m.: Alexander is back in service. Mercy medics went back in service some time ago.

UPDATE 9:47 p.m.: The Union Street assignment is back in service. All responders are clearing the scene.

City firefighters are responding to a report of smoke coming from an electrical outlet at 21 Woodstock Gardens, Apt. 21.

UPDATE 6:05 p.m.: They are on scene, investigating. The location is the southernmost building in the back of the complex.

UPDATE 6:07 p.m.: City police are called in case traffic control is needed.

UPDATE 6:09 p.m.: A building inspector is called to the scene.

UPDATE 6:14 p.m.: The inspector's ETA is now roughly 15 minutes.

UPDATE 6:30 p.m.: The problem was determined to be an air-conditioner leaking water into an electrical outlet. To fix it, firefighters "eliminated the outlet." The city assignment is back in service.

A lantern in a tree at 25 Pleasant St., Le Roy, is reportedly smoldering.

Le Roy Fire Department is dispatched.

UPDATE 9:49 p.m.: A chief on scene reports the fire is out. "It appears to be accidental."

UPDATE 9:51 p.m.: Le Roy fire is back in service.

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A red Jeep with its brakes on fire is reported off Boyce Road, near Route 5. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 12:16 p.m.: The fire is out.

UPDATE 12:23 p.m.: East Pembroke is back in service. A tow truck is en route.

A possible grass fire in two spots is reported in the woods off westbound Route 490 in the area of mile marker 0.9. Bergen and Le Roy fire departments are called to investigate.

UPDATE 12:23 p.m.: Firefighters found five or six large controlled burns. The farmer had notified the Emergency Dispatch Center beforehand about the planned burns. However, authorities decided because of their location, they should be looked at for safety reasons. The responders are back in service. And the property owner, who is actually on Lake Street Road, is "highly agitated" with the situation.

A car fire has been reported at 2878 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield.

The car is in front of the Arnold Farm.

Oakfield Fire Department is responding.

The first chief on scene reports heavy smoke.

UPDATE 11:33 p.m.: The fire is out. A tow truck is en route to haul the vehicle away. The road is reopened. Oakfield is back in service.

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Two dogs on River Road were rescued today from a home on River Road, Pavilion, after a fire ignited in the back of the manufactured home while the tenants were not home.

Steven Barnhardt, a neighbor, opened the unlocked front door, and even though the ceiling had black smoke rolling over it, entered the house, let the dogs out of their cages and then yelled to see if anybody was in the house.

"There was black smoke and flames coming out the back window and as soon as I got out, it started coming out of the roof," Barnhardt said.

The fire appears to have started in a rear bedroom and was possibly related to an electrical issue, though no appliances were believed to be running at the time the fire started.

Besides the dogs, two cats were saved, though as of 6 p.m., one was still missing.

While the dogs ran off from the fire scene, they returned later and were reunited with their owners.

The residence is owned by Matthew Janis and his tenants were Cory Harkness and Chelsea Zeluff.

Pavilion Chief Paul Dougherty said that even though the response was quick and most of the house was saved, given the type of construction, it's probably a total loss.

"It's probably easier to move another manufactured dwelling here than reconstruct this one," Dougherty said.

The property is valued at $61,000.

Dougherty said the black smoke from the fire was visible from some distance away and when chiefs arrived on scene, there was fire coming from two back windows and from under the eaves.

The biggest difficulty firefighters faced was the flimsy nature of the floor of the manufactured house.

"A hole was already burned through the floor in one of the rooms," Dougherty said. "Fortunately, there is no basement, so the first guy or two just kind of settled through the floor and they were able to to get themselves out and continue with the suppression."

Mutual aid at the scene included Stafford, Bethany, Batavia's Fast Team, Le Roy, Alexander, Lester, York, Perry, Perry Center and Wyoming.

Dougherty said due to the lack of public water in the area, Pavilion needed the assistance of several of the surrounding department's tankers and crews to help with the water supply.

Genesee County Emergency Services assisted at the scene and with the investigation.

Deputy Brad Mazur is assisting in the investigation.

A house fire is reported in Pavilion at 11039 River Road. Fire departments from Pavilion, Stafford, Bethany are responding along with the city's Fast Team. Le Roy firefighters will stand in at Pavilion's hall. A lot of smoke is showing. The location is off Route 63.

UPDATE 5:23 p.m.: More help is on the way from Alexander, Lester, York, Perry, Perry Center and Wyoming.

UPDATE 5:28 p.m.: Fire police from Le Roy are called to the scene for traffic control. Medics are also called, including some from Livingston County. The home is unoccupied.

UPDATE 5:36 p.m.: National Grid is called. Firefighters are trying to shut off the natural gas line now. Several minutes ago, a person described as the homeowner was said to be running up to the house on foot.

UPDATE 5:38 p.m.: At least a portion of the fire has been knocked down.

UPDATE 5:46 p.m.: As firefighters continue to battle the blaze, they are also on the scout for two cats and one kitten that live inside the house.

UPDATE 5:48 p.m.: One of the cats was seen running from the scene and the homeowner has been told this.

UPDATE 5:52 p.m.: With the exception of medics, all responders from Wyoming and Livingston counties are put back in service.

UPDATE 5:53 p.m.: The fire is out. Crews are outside the structure now, rehabing the scene. Alexander and York are also put back in service. Investigators can start their investigation.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Stafford and Perry are released from the scene. The American Red Cross is called to provide assistance to the residents.

UPDATE 6:04 p.m.: As for the cats, one remains unaccounted for, one is hiding under the house and refuses to be coaxed out. One was rescued after it scampered away from the tumult.

UPDATE 6:08 p.m.: National Grid is on location to shut off the power.

UPDATE 7:35 p.m.: Pavilion back in service.

Nicole Reilly was playing a game on her computer Monday afternoon when she heard a banging on her window and someone yelling.

"I had no idea what was going on," she said. "Justin looked out the window and said, ‘The house is on fire,’ so we just got out."

The fire, reported at 1:38 p.m., at 33 Pearl St., Batavia, displaced 10 residents and claimed the life of a 10-week-old chihuahua.

Two kittens and a cat were rescued, and while the garage was totally destroyed and the second floor apartment was heavily damaged, the structure is still standing.

However, owner Thomas J. Mazerbo is uncertain of the building's ultimate fate.

Mazerbo, had nothing but praise for the work of city firefighters, the police and Mercy EMS.

"With the response time, I appreciate everything that was done," Mazerbo said. "Everybody (fire, PD and EMS) was here fast. The important thing is nobody was hurt or injured."

The fire started in the garage and police took two people in for questioning. The two men may have been in the garage when the fire started.

The cause of the fire has not been released.

Chief Jim Maxwell said the garage was fully involved when Engine 12 and Ladder 15 arrived on scene, and there were already flames licking the rear of the structure, pushed toward the two-story apartment building by westerly winds.

"Our initial concern was to get some lines on the garage," Maxwell said. "We set up an unmanned master stream. The garage was pretty much written off when we got here, so our main concern was to make sure we didn't lose the house."

The garage and house were covered in asphalt shingles, which is a good fire retardant, Maxwell said, but once ignited, burn hot and fast.

The 10 residents included an elderly woman who was about to move into a single-story flat, Mazerbo said.

"We'll need to hurry up now and get that ready," he said.

Among the first people to report the fire was Jim Lucki, a Batavia resident, whose in-laws live next door. He was driving past the house when he saw the garage fire. He stopped, ran to the house, and alerted the people inside. He tried to get to the second floor, but the smoke was too heavy at that point, he said.

Once all of the residents were accounted for, the ones at the scene turned their attention to the safety of the animals. It wasn't until the fire was nearly out that a cat and two Persian Himalayan kittens, Samson and Sebastian, were rescued.

The deceased puppy was located in the second floor apartment a short time before fire crews went back in service.

Assisting at the scene were the Alexander and Elba volunteer fire departments as well as Emergency Services and the Red Cross.

PHOTOS: Top, Alexander 1st Assistant Chief Marshall Merle carries Sebastian to safety. Second photo, Stacy and Matthew Johnson with Samson, relived that he was rescued. Very bottom photo, fire investigators begin sifting through rubble in the garage in the hope of finding clues on how the fire started.

If you're unable to view the slide show, click here.

A garage fire, with heavy smoke showing, is reported at 33 Pearl St. City fire is responding. It's now a second alarm.

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: A responder on scene says the fire is fully involved. There are no people inside. There is some fire exposure to an adjacent structure. Alexander's Fast Team is called to the scene and the Town of Batavia will send a fire crew to fill in at the city station. Two mercy rigs are called in case needed.

UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: Now they are saying people are believed to be still inside the structure on the second floor.

UPDATE 1:49 p.m.: Elba's "Cascade" is called to the scene.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: The fire has spread to the house. The location is between Franklin Street and Brooklyn Avenue.

UPDATE 1:53 p.m.: The fire inside has been knocked down.

UPDATE 1:54 p.m.: A truck at the site is also on fire.

UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: They've confirmed that there's no one inside the structure. National Grid is called to the scene.

UPDATE 2:09 p.m.: They checked for extension into the small attic. There is smoke and heat, but no flames.

UPDATE 2:16 p.m.: The Salvation Army is called to provide cold drinks at the scene.

UPDATE 2:22 p.m.: Power to the structure has been disconnected. The American Red Cross is called to provide housing for five adults.

UPDATE 2:28 p.m.: City command reports that the fire is under control.

UUPDATE 2:41 p.m.: Three cats and one puppy are unaccounted for. The three cats lived in the downstairs unit and the puppy lived in the upper apartment, where the fire extension occurred.

UPDATE 2:58 p.m.: The cats are actually kittens, and two of the three have been rescued.

UPDATE 3:07 p.m.: All three cats have been rescued -- only two were kittens. No word still on the pup.

UPDATE 3:16 p.m.: Residents of the building say more than five people lived there. They say five lived upstairs, three lived downstairs and two in the basement. The fire started in the garage. Two people are being interviewed at the police station.

UPDATE 3:27 p.m.: Town of Batavia and Elba are back in service, and so is East Pembroke, which filled in at the town's station.

UPDATE 4:03 p.m. (by Howard): As of about 20 minutes ago, the puppy had not been located. It's a 10-week-old chihuahua.

UPDATE 4:16 p.m. (by Howard): City building inspector requested to the scene.

UPDATE 4:25 p.m.: Ladder 15 and Engine 12 are back in service. Others from city station remain at the scene to continue their investigation. The code enforcement officer is there. Regretably, the puppy was found. He didn't make it.

A small brush fire is reported off the eastbound lanes of Route 490. Bergen Fire Department is on scene but since it's determined to be in Churchville's district, that fire department is handling it.

A caller on the Thruway reports seeing large flames in the area north of Pratt Road near Powers Road.

East Pembroke is being dispatched to investigate.

UPDATE: All equipment being held in quarters. The chief has received a call reporting a controlled burn.

UPDATE 11:34 p.m.: East Pembroke back in service.

A unknown type fire is reported at North and Vine, Batavia.

Flames are reportedly 10 feet in the air.

It could be a garbage fire.

City Fire is responding.

UPDATE: 12:06 a.m.: We didn't hear any further updates on this call.

City firefighters are responding to investigate the smell of smoke in the lower front apartment at 415 Ellicott St. This may be related to an electrical problem.

UPDATE 1:02 p.m.: City fire is back in service.

The lift mechanism for the Skycoaster ride is on fire at Darien Lake Theme Park, but no one is aboard the ride. Darien Fire Department is responding. The park is located at 9993 Alleghany Road in Darien Center.

UPDATE 5:25 p.m.: A responder on scene says there is no fire. Darien is back in service. On the Skycoaster, according to the theme park's Web site "Riders control their own fate by pulling the rip cord and initiating a 180-foot power flight above the park. Experience weightlessness, and speeds of more than 60 mph."

An unknown type fire is reported in the area of the Darien Transfer Station, 2299 Attica Road, Darien.

Darien Fire Department is dispatched.

UPDATE 8:57 p.m.: Darien back in service.

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A fully involved shed fire is reported at 2700 Old Buffalo Road. Alexander Fire Department is responding along with mutual aid from Darien, Attica and Bethany. A lot of black smoke is showing. The structure is estimated to be about 20 by 25 feet in size. A residence is nearby.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: Units from Corfu and the Town of Batavia are also called. The location is near Darien - Alexander Town Line Road.

UPDATE 5:12 p.m.: There are "power lines all over" -- they are down and responders are told to use caution upon approach. National Grid is called to the scene.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: Attica and Lippold roads are closed. Eastbound traffic is shut down.

UPDATE 5:46 p.m.: Bethany is back in service.

UPDATE 6:01 p.m.: The fire is out. Responders are back in service. Presumably, the roads have been reopened.

A boat at 3113 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield, is reportedly on fire.

It is out of the water, but near a structure.

Oakfield Fire Department responding.

A tanker from Town of Batavia requested to the scene.

UPDATE 9:01 p.m.: Batavia back in service.

UPDATE 9:37 p.m.: Oakfield back in service.

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A car fire has been reported in the area of 6378 N. Bergen Road, Byron.

Byron and South Byron departments have responded.

The car is located near a structure and is described by a chief on scene as "a working car fire."

The fire was reported by a passerby and the address is approximate.

UPDATE 7:27 p.m.: Fire is out. No extension into the house.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: Byron, South Byron back in service.

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A caller at 10 or 12 Clay St., Le Roy, reports the smoke detector going off in the lower apartment and smoke in the hallway upstairs.

Le Roy fire and ambulance dispatched.

The first chief on scene reports nothing showing.

UPDATE 11:59 p.m.: Burnt food. Le Roy firefighters will ventilate. Bergen's ladder, which was also dispatched, is put back in service.

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