fire

For the second time in less than 13 months, the Ricigliano family is looking for a place to live and trying to figure how how to replace all of their belongings.

On Wednesday night, they were burned out of their apartment at 20 Vine St., Batavia.

The suspected cause and origin of the fire has yet to be released by the Batavia Fire Department.

A year ago, Nick and Melissa were living 132 State St., where a woman died after reportedly starting a fire by smoking too close to her oxygen tank.

"My son’s birthday is Feb. 7," Melissa Ricigliano said. "Last year, two days after his birthday, he lost everything. This year, two weeks after his birthday, he loses everything."

Both Melissa and Nick work (at Sunny's restaurant and McDonald's), but after spending the past year replacing all of their belongings, money is tight and they can't afford the expense of a new rental.

After the State Street fire, they knew they needed to get renters' insurance and started the process but hadn't yet signed the paperwork.

Meanwhile, they lost all of their clothes, a new couch, TV and Xbox.

"It took almost a whole year to buy all of our stuff back and now it’s all gone again," Melissa said.

Melissa said she's been disappointed in the response she's gotten from the American Red Cross. On Wednesday, Ricigliano was given $300 and told to come back the next day.

The next day, the woman she talked to said, "What are you doing here?" The woman said there was no more assistance available. When Melissa said, "I'm homeless and we need food," she was told she should have used the $300 for food.

The $300, Melissa said, went for two sets of clothes for each member of the family, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Judy Nagel at the Genesee Region Red Cross said the available money for fire victims is tightly regulated by the national headquarters. Each victim, she said, is given a debit card and a form that says, "spend X amount on clothing and X amount on food."

"It's all put into a computer and there's a formula based on policies set by headquarters," Nagel said. "The computer creates the debit card. We're not able to do more than that. We don't have any control over the amount (of assistance)."

Nick and Melissa are currently staying with friends. Their children, Dominic, 6, and Martha, 3, are with family in Chili. Melissa also said the people at John Kennedy School and New Hope Church have been trying to help, as well as several others in the community.

Her sister is working on organizing a fundraiser at a town fire hall, but no date has been set yet.

Melissa said she has a message for any potential landlords: "You might want to put out there that I am a good tenant and I don’t have a curse.”

There is a report of smoke in the basement of a house at 210 Osterhout Ave., Batavia.

City fire dispatched.

UPDATE: Never heard any more on this and when I went by about 30 minutes after the initial call, the fire department had cleared.

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A structure fire is reported at 20 Vine St. in the City of Batavia. City firefighters are on scene and the second and fourth platoons have been called in. Mercy EMS is going to scene in case needed.

UPDATE 6:26 p.m.: A fire chief has asked that police officers shut the street to traffic. Three rooms have been engulfed with flames at this point. National Grid and National Fuel are being contacted to shut off power to the structure.

UPDATE 6:29 p.m.: A firefighter says the second floor is full of smoke but there are no visible flames.

UPDATE 6:43 p.m.: Three rear windows upstairs have been opened, providing ventilation. The structure consists of two apartments. A young woman lives upstairs and Nick Ricigliano and his wife and toddler live downstairs. They are all out and safe. Ricigliano said he was burned out of his home last year, too. His family lived in an apartment on State Street in the city, in the same building where a woman died in a fire caused by her smoking cigarettes near her oxygen tank.

UPDATE 7:03 p.m.: A chief reports that the building housed a total of seven people. He asked that the American Red Cross be contacted and come to the scene to help those displaced by the fire.

UPDATE 7:15 p.m.: Firefighters are checking for hot spots in cavities of the building.

UPDATE 7:28 p.m.: A city inspector is called to the scene and "someone who boards up buildings."

UPDATE 7:37 p.m.: The fire is out and crews are cleaning up.

UPDATE 7:55 p.m.: The fire chief asks for the water department to shut off service to the building.

PHOTOS: Top photo by Frank Capuano.

A wood shop fire has been reported at 9877 Simonds Road, Darien.

Darien Fire with mutual aid from Alexander and Corfu dispatched to the scene.

UPDATE 8:04 a.m.: Darien chief on scene reports, "working fire."

UPDATE 8:17 a.m.: Attica requested to fill in at Alexander Fire Hall.

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An old barn -- the owner believes it was the oldest on Swamp Road -- was destroyed in a fire of undetermined origin this afternoon.

The barn was owned by Howard and Sandra Lee Brew, of 7557 Swamp Road, Bergen. Brew said he has lived on the farm, once owned by his father, his entire life. He's 67.

Bergen Fire Department along with mutual aid from several other departments (we don't have the complete list yet, but we believe it included Byron, South Byron, City of Batavia (Fast Team), Town of Batavia, Le Roy, Brockport, Churchville, Holley, Pavilion and York, which had a crew on standby in its hall.  The Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services were also on scene.

The initial call came in at about 12:50 p.m.

(Initial Report)

More pictures after the jump:

A barn fire is reported at 7557 Swamp Road in Bergen. The smoke is visible for miles around.

Bergen Fire Department is responding. A Le Roy ladder truck is called and an engine is to stand by at Bergen's headquarters. An engine from Churchville is called to assist. The city Fast Team is also requested and a pumper from the Town of Batavia.

The location is between Jericho and Pocock roads.

UPDATE 1:10 p.m.: A tanker is requested from both Byron and South Byron. They are to approach from the west. Pavilion is called to stand by in Le Roy's hall. Mercy medics are responding to the fire.

UPDATE 1:33 p.m.: The fire is under control and the firefighters are working to overhaul the structure. Pavilion's crew that was on standby in Le Roy's hall was moved to Sheard's Antiques & Guns on South Lake Road to standby for two districts -- Le Roy and Byron.

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: The overhaul operations are expected to take quite some time. The ladies' auxiliary is called to provide refreshments.

UPDATE 1:47 p.m.: The owner told us that he believes the barn was built in 1919 and that it was the oldest barn on Swamp Road. It was completely destroyed by the fire.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: The owners are Howard and Sandra Lee Brew.

UPDATE 1:58 p.m.: Howard Brew said he grew up on this property, which was his father's. One section of the barn was older than the rest of it, but he's not sure how much older. The Brews grow wheat, corn and oats and they raise geese and goats.

UPDATE 3:34 p.m. (by Howard): Departments are starting to go back in service. Firefighters are down to one charged line while other volunteers have started rolling up hoses.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: All units back in service.

Picture taken at 12:54 p.m. by Taylor Cecere.

The smell of smoke is reported inside a residence at 8409 Indian Falls Road in Indian Falls. The basement of the home is flooded, too.

Oakfield, East Pembroke and Pembroke fire units are called.

UPDATE 8:03 p.m.: Assignment back in service.

A fully involved car fire is reported on Route 77 in front of the Econo Lodge. That's located at 8493 Alleghany Road in Corfu.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire are responding.

UPDATE 5:52 p.m.: The driver is out of the vehicle and is OK.

A futon caught on fire this morning at 29 Tracy Ave., but the apartment was not damaged.

The initial alarm came in around 10 a.m. and city firefighters responded.

Firefighters found the futon outside the apartment, where the resident had dragged it.

According to Lt. Jay Steinbrenner, the resident was apparently smoking on the futon when he fell asleep. When he woke up, he tried putting the fire out himself. He apparently tried a few times, according ot Steinbrenner.

"This apparently went on for an hour and a half," Steinbrenner said.

When the futon flamed up pretty good, the resident dragged it outside and called 9-1-1.

A chimney fire has been reported at 9565 Colby Road, Corfu.

Darien Fire Department along with a tanker from Alexander and Corfu fire have been dispatched.

UPDATE 5:03 p.m.: Power has been shut off to the residence. Pembroke fire requested to fill in at Corfu's hall.

UPDATE 5:13 p.m.: Fire appears contained to the chimney.

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A grease fire was reported about 10 minutes ago at a residence on Tracy Avenue (in the area of 15 or 16). It was called in by a neighbor.

The first started in the upper apartment kitchen, at the rear of the building. Electrical power is arcing at the back of the stove and National Grid is called. The power is now shut off in the basement but lights are still on on the second floor.

The fire is knocked out by City of Batavia Fire Department and the building is being ventilated. An off-duty crew is called to standby in the fire station.

UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: A fire chief says "no school transportation is acceptable" along that portion of Tracy Avenue. National Grid is expected on scene at any moment now.

A car fire has been reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 387 in the westbound lane.

Town of Batavia Fire being dispatched.

UPDATE 7:20 p.m.: There's been only one call reporting the fire. Mile maker 387 is about 2/10ths of a mile east of the Byron Road underpass.

UPDATE 7:31 p.m.: A chief on scene reports no flames showing. Engine 21 is returning to quarters.

UPDATE 7:32 p.m.: Engines 23 and 24 arriving on scene. The fire appears to be out.

UPDATE 7:38 p.m.: Mechanical problems. Town of Batavia Fire back in service. The actual mile marker was 387.9.

A car is reportedly on fire at 6744 Mud City Road in Byron. It was inside a detached garage, but was moved outside, apparently before igniting the building.

Fire crews from Byron, South Byron are called in. Town of Batavia's Fast Team was cancelled.

The location is between Mill Pond and Cole roads.

Investigators believe that a fire in Bergen on Monday night was deliberately set. Nobody was injured in the fire.

The fire, reported at 9:10 p.m., destroyed an old trailer and two cars used for parts at Bergen Auto Recycling, 7652 Clinton St. Road.

Deputy Chief Jerry Brewster said investigators don't have much to go on.

"The owner of the yard has no idea of why anyone would do this," Brewster said. "There was scant evidence...a set of snow-covered footprints approaching the RV and then leaving."

Brewster said Jim Bouton of Genesee County Emergency Services determined the fire was likely deliberately set.

Brewster said he was told the trailer was worthless.

"I presume that some type of accelerant was probably used," Brewster said.

Fire departments from Bergen, South Byron and Churchville responded to the scene.

A large fire has been reported in the yard of Bergen Auto Recycling, 7652 Clinton St. Road, Bergen.

A Bergen chief is at the gate and says he can see a fire among either a couple of cars or a box truck.

The owner is apparently not around and the gate is locked. Fire dispatch has contacted the owner.

An employee on scene says it's a trailer containing (empty) plastic gas tanks.

Bergen units are en route.

UPDATE 9:27 p.m.: A handful of trailers are on fire, but no extension beyond those vehicles, a chief reports. Churchville Fire Department requested to stand in at Bergen Fire Hall.

UPDATE 9:29 p.m.: A South Byron tanker requested to the scene.

UPDATE 9:31 p.m.: A Churchville tanker is also requested to the scene.

UPDATE 10:20 p.m.: Some time ago, law enforcement was requested to the scene. The deputy who responded has requested an investigator to the scene.

UPDATE 10:29 p.m.: South Byron being released from the scene. Chruchville remains standing by in Bergen quarters.\

UPDATE 11:46 p.m.: Bergen back in service.

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A brake fire on an unknown type of vehicle has been reported by the Thruway Authority on the I-90 at mile marker 375.1.

That puts it just at the county line.

Le Roy Fire is responding.

City Fire is being dispatched to investigate a possible electrical fire in the wall of a residence at 8 Trumbull Parkway.

A car fire has been reported in the area of 6639 Telephone Road (Route 20), Pavilion.

Pavilion Fire has been dispatched.

Three or four electrical wires, still connected to the pole, are on fire on the north side of Route 63, just south of York Road. A nearby tree is also on fire. (The location is reportedly near an old house than burned down a long time ago.)

Pavilion Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 7:21 p.m.: National Grid has been notified. No arrival time estimate given.