Apartment fire reported in Byron
Byron and South Byron Fire have been dispatched to an apartment fire at Route 262, west of Route 237.
A first responder reports the building is across from the Presbyterian Church and is fully engulfed.
The initial caller was reported out of breath and talking excitedly.
All residents are reportedly out of the building.
The fire is now in a second alarm with Elba and Town of Batavia FAST teams responding, Stafford on standby.
UPDATE 10:02 p.m.: There are a number of residents out of the building.
UPDATE 10:09 p.m.: Town of Batavia FAST team is being reassigned to a task at the fire and City of Batavia FAST team is being brought in.
UPDATE 10:19 p.m.: The Red Cross is responding to the scene. It has been ordered that the roof of the apartment building be opened up. A team of four firefighters is inside the building.
UPDATE 10:26 p.m.: For at least five minutes, water has been pumped into the fire scene. Just heavy smoke at this point. The roof has been opened up to the attic and firefighters are still working on the second story.
UPDATE 10:30 p.m.: All available units from Elba have been requested.
UPDATE 10:40 p.m.: Presumably, the Red Cross is the entity seeking to provide refreshments to the onlooking apartment dwellers.
UPDATE 10:47: All power has been cut off at the apartment building. One person at the apartment building reportedly can provide an eyewitness account of what happened, but the fire personnel will need an interpreter to communicate with him.
UPDATE 10:51: A code enforcement officer has been called to the scene. The eyewitness subject is being transported to a fire station to be interviewed.