City Fire responded to a report of a structure fire at 101 Washington Ave., Batavia, and upon arrival found smoke and flames coming out of the south side of the building.
The Victorian-era house has served as the office of Dr. Vladimir Frias for the past seven years, and before that, it was Present Tense Books, and before that, a photography studio.
The office was closed today but Frias stopped by this afternoon and found the fire.
"When I came into the office, I saw the smoke and called 911. There was smoke and there was fire, and I called 911 right away, and then they were here. I came in from the back, the fire seemed like it came in from the middle ... this is terrible," he said. "I love this building too, it's a historic landmark. It's not just a building to us."
Fire Chief Daniel Herberger said he doesn't believe the building is a total loss and may be able to be restored. There is heavy fire damage in the reception area and heavy smoke damage throughout the building.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The house was built in 1874.
Previously: Structure fire reported on Washington Avenue, Batavia
Two photos above are by Marc Johnson, whose office, Millennium Computers, is on the other side of Washington Avenue.
