fire

Firefighters are scrambling to fight a fire near in the LeRoy/Caledonia area, with firefighters responding to Asbury Road and Flint Road.

One firefighter in asking for more manpower said, "They better get out here quick or we're going to lose this truck and us."

When a dispatcher asked another dispatcher about more crews responding, the second dispatcher said, "Send everybody you can get. They need lots of manpower."

I'm heading out that way now.

UPDATE 4:50 p.m.: The fire was declared under control at 4:09 p.m.  The fire was actually in Mumford, but LeRoy found the fire first (units were returning from covering another fire), while Caledonia was out covering an other fire. Crews from Genesee County (I saw trucks from Bethany, Pavilion, Stafford and LeRoy on scene and spoke with a firefighter from Bergen), Livingston and Monroe counties help battle the flames. The fire was contained to a wooded area that covers a couple of acres.  I'll have pictures shortly, and a video in a couple of hours.  The video is an interview with LeRoy 2nd Asst. Chief Tom "Woody" Wood, who found the fire and was the one mentioned above asking for more crews quickly.

UPDATE 5:17 p.m.: Most of my photos turned out to not be very interesting.  Here's this one (video TK).

Fire crews are responding to a field fire at 2893 West Main Road, between Hopkins and Powers.

The nearby house is not threatened, according to reports.

A controled burn reportedly got out of control at 9363 Warsaw Road in LeRoy.  Units are being dispatched now.

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A brush fire has been reported well behind the residence at 3693 Maltby Road in Oakfield.

Bales of hay on a truck are reportedly on fair in Bethany at 6025 East Bethany Le Roy Road. Crews are responding. A second alarm has been responded.

UPDATE 4:21 p.m.: I'm on scene on Hawks Road, where the truck with burning hay was moved to after firefighters determined the only way to extinguish the fire was to dump the load in an open field. The load has been dumped and crews are now poring water and bulldozing dirt onto the burning fire. The flames are few but the smoke is profuse.  I should have some video edited and uploaded in an hour or two.

UPDATE 5:15 p.m.: The fire is reportedly contained and crews are returning to quarters; however, the fire is expected to burn for a couple of more days until it burns itself out, generating much smoke at times.

UPDATE 10:30 p.m.: At the scene today I met Scott M. Kibler, 4th assistant chief for the Stafford Fire Department, and it turns out he's a regular reader of The Batavian. He sends along the following report and pictures from the fire.

At 3:10 PM the Stafford Fire Dept was called out to assist the Bethany Fire Dept. at 6025 E.Bethany-Leroy Rd. for a tractor trailer loaded with hay that was on fire. First ariving trucks on scene deployed hand lines and attempted to put out the fire with little success. It was determined that the load needed to be dumped in order to get at the fire and put it out. A suitable dump site was located about a mile away on Hawks Rd. in a empty field. Pavilion Fire Dept. set up a draft site on Fox Place in the town of Stafford and tankers were filled from there. A front end Loader was brought in by A.D. Call & sons and when the load was dumped it was pushed around and spread out so it could be watered down. I have not heard how the fire started yet but my guess would be from the exhaust stack on the truck. Trucks from Stafford, Bethany and Pavilion Responded to this incident.

The Sheriff's Office reports this morning that Thursday's fire in Village of Corfu, which damaged the former Pizza Pantry building at 10 Main St., possibility erupted after two teens inadequately disposed of cigarettes.

The press release says that further investigation may result in the teens being petitioned to Genesee Family Court.

The fire started at the rear of the building.

Fire units from Corfu, Pembroke, East Pembroke, City of Batavia, Oakfield, Darien, Alden, Crittenden and Akron responded to the blaze.

Two firefighters reportedly suffered minor injuries.

Units from Genesee and Erie counties have responded to a structure fire in Corfu at 4 Main Street, the former location of Pizza Pantry. 

An ambulance was called to the scene for a firefighter who reportedly fell in the building, but he exited safely and the extent of his injuries, if any, are unknown at this time.

The building is a two-story brick structure that was apparently gutted, but there is no significant exterior damage.

The initial call came in at about 12:35 p.m.

Dan Fischer at WBTA is also working on getting information on the fire.  Updates as they become available.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: Tim Yaeger says the firefighter mentioned in our first report is fine. He was treated and released. A second firefighter was struck by a piece of equipment and broke a tooth.

Linda Doll of Corfu says she called in the fire. She was returning from a funeral in Batavia when she saw smoke as she pulled into the village. As soon as she turned onto Main Street, she saw flames coming from the back of the building, she said. She immediately called 911.

UPDATE: The following photo was submitted to The Batavian by James F. Gerber, photographer for the Alden Fire Department.

UPDATE: Joanne Beck reports that the cause of the fire is suspicious.

The cause remains under investigation. Yaeger said it started on the outside of the building, and a witness reported children in the area.

BATAVIA, N.Y. -- It's a great day to BBQ, but apparently some people haven't brushed off the cob webs of winter and reminded themselves cooking out doors.

About 1:35, a resident on Bank Street saw flames from an enclosed area in a neighbors back yard and called dispatchers with report of a fire at 117 Bank Street.

Batavia fire crews responded promptly and found nothing more than a beginning-of-spring bar-b-que in progress.

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An "out of control" grass fire is being battled at 3186 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road.

The fire covers an estimated two acres and additional crews have been request.

No report on whether any structures are threatened.

UPDATE 2:58 p.m.: I'm on scene. Fire seems pretty much under control. Manpower-only crews were called in from Stafford and Pembroke (Pembroke's brush truck was reported out of service). The fire started as a controled burn, according to homeowner Michael Cusmano. "It just took off," he said. I'll post a picture or two shortly. Also, there is another reported brush fire near Stafford (I didn't catch the exact address) and a grass fire at 10346 Hartwell Road in Pavilion.

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: I didn't make it out to the Pavilion fire. It sounds like it's under control at this point. Some crews are returning to station.

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A brush fire was reported in Elba at 4819 Hundredmark Road at about 10:30 this morning.

While the fire is near a structure, the structure does not appear threatened at this time.

A fire that was supposed to be a conrolled burn got out of hand and became a blaze that required four engine companies to respond.

The fire consumed a barn at 7411 Oak Orchard Road, but apparently not the one intended to be destroyed, reported WBTA on it's afternoon news.

I was unable to get to the fire this morning.

Here's a map of the location:

Fire units are responding to a "good size" brush fire at 8910 Lehigh Road in the Town of Batavia.

One crew on the scene has reported the fire spreading.

No further information available at this time.

UPDATE: A few minutes after this initial post, crews reported the fire was largely put out and clean up was in process.

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I knew the village of Oakfield has been around for a long time, but I never really thought about what might have happened before everybody living there was born.

While looking at some history sites I came across one called GenDisasters, which posted a story from an Ohio Newspaper called The Mansfield News from 5-12-1895.

Buffalo, May 11. -- The little village of Oakfield was entirely destroyed by fire this morning. Not a house is left standing. The fields about the burning village are occupied by the refugees who have saved nothing from the flames. Shortly after 3 o'clock this morning a telegram was received here asking for assistance but none could be sent. The telegraph, telephone and railway dispatch offices are all burned out and no wire communication can be had with the village. The fire started in the rear of HARRIS & CHAPIN'S hardware store about 1:30 a.m. and burned till 3:30 o'clock. Among the buildings destroyed are:
CHAMBERLAIN'S block, dry goods and grocery store.
HARRIS & CHAPIN'S hardware store.
WEAVER'S furniture and undertaking establishment.
B. C. MARTIN'S dry goods and grocery store.
The ARNOLD Hotel.
The BARNES House.
Odd Fellows Hall.
DR. TUGTUIS' drug store, and a number of dwellings. The loss will be about $75,000.

Oakfield - which was originally known as Cary or Caryville - had a population of over 1,000 when the first recorded store opened in 1833 by Colonel Alfred Cary.

The village's name was changed to Plain Brook in 1837 and was soon after changed to Oakfield. The first village meeting was held in August of 1887.

There is a fascinating piece written on the history of Oakfield here.

BATAVIA, N.Y. Units have been dispatched to 3207 Pratt Road for a reported trailer fire. Medics are responding, as well.

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UPDATE: 2:12 p.m.: Minor fire. According to Asst. Chief  David Winters, the homeowner was trying to heat frozen water pipes with a propane salamander heater when flames shot from it and ignited the underside of the trailer. The fire was contained to under the trailer. There were no injuries.

We've received reports of a car fire on Munson Street in downtown LeRoy near Genesee Valley BOCES. Emergency crews have been dispatched, but I would steer clear of driving through that area for the next hour or so.

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We've received reports of a possible fire at Stella's Collision on East Main Road in LeRoy. Reports on the scanner indicate smoke in the building. Fire crews from LeRoy, Caledonia and Pavilion have been dispatched. We will update as more information becomes available. 

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Update (11:45 a.m.): Additional manpower has been requested to the scene as a second alarm was just sounded over the scanner.

Update (1:05 p.m.): LeRoy dispatch reports that all crews have returned to base. No fire was present on scene. Firefighters reported a haze in the building that was not exactly smoke, but the cause of the disturbance has not yet been identified.

A Gasport man was taken to the hospital this afternoon after suffering burns to his head, face, neck and hands when a fire broke out in a barn in the town of Batavia, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Twenty-nine-year-old James Putnam Jr. is recovering in the burn unit of the Erie County Medical Center at this hour.

Fire crews from the East Pemrboke volunteer squad were the first on scene at 9161 Wilkinson Road, where reports had come in shortly after 12:30 p.m. of a fire in the storage barn. Firefighters found flames coming out of the structure when they arrived shortly thereafter. Putnam was immediately taken to the hospital by city of Batavia ambulance.

Batavia, Darien, Alexander, Corfu, Oakfield and Elba also sent crews to the scene, and the fire was extinguished before it spread to an unattached house. The barn and everything inside of it were destroyed in the blaze. The barn is owned by Gabriele J. Miller, of 9161 Wilkinson Road.

"The preliminary investigation into the cause and origin of the fire indicates that the fire is accidental and was a result of the work that was being performed inside the workshop at the time of the fire," deputies said. Genesee County's Office of Emergency Management assisted in the investigation

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We have yet to receive word on the extent of the damage to a home in Bethany that caught fire early this morning. But these few photos taken at the scene about an hour ago show that the home—at least, the half of it where the fire broke out—is essentially destroyed.

The cause of a fire that damaged a home in the town of Bethany overnight is still under investigation, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Fire crews first got the call at 2:25 a.m., this morning, that a chimney fire had broken out at the home at 4588 Conway Road in Bethany. There was one occupant at home, and she was able to get out safely. 

Firefighters could see the flames from a distance as they arrived on scene. No injuries were reported. The Bethany Volunteer Fire Department is being aided by several surrounding departments, including Alexander, Batavia, Stafford, Pavilion, Wyoming, Warsaw, Attica, South Byron and LeRoy.

No reports yet of the extent of the damage. An article this morning in the Democrat & Chronicle reports that firefighters were still on scene at 6:30 a.m., and heavy fire damage is apparent.

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Several engines in Genesee County have already been dispatched to a house fire at 6714 Brownell Road, off Route 19, near Pavilion. The Batavian is heading out now to find out more. 

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(Updated at 2:15pm): No injuries have yet been reported at the scene of this house fire. Plenty of crews were on hand from areas in and around Genesee County. At least a dozen engines, trucks and emergency vehicles were lined up outside the residence. The fire seemed mainly confined to the back corner of the house, where flames chewed through the back wall.

We will update with more information as it becomes available. Also check back for more photos and a brief video clip of the scene.

(Updated at 3:30pm): It doesn't look like we'll be getting any specifics on this fire until morning, according to the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management. What we can say right now is what we can see.

Now, I'm not exactly sure where this home is located. Google shows this as Wyoming, but it's in the Pavilion fire district and just outside of Pavilion Center. Yet, on the scanner, I heard reports that this is actually the town of Covington.

At the scene earlier this afternoon, there were no reports of any injuries, and fire damage seemed to be confined to the back of the house. Crews from Pavilion, Wyoming, even as far off as York, lined the street out front of the home on Brownell Road and stretched in either direction on Wyoming Road, as well. We first heard reports of the fire shortly after one o'clock, and some crews on scene were already being dismissed by shortly after two o'clock. I would assume the large turnout helped keep everything under control and get the fire tackled as fast as it had been.

As soon as we have more details, we will be sure to pass them along.