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House fire on Union Street in the city

By Billie Owens

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.

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