fire

After extinguishing a car fire at 1364 Church St., Alabama, last night, volunteer firefighters made a sad discovery -- the body of the 60-year-old man who lived at that address was found in the car.

Sheriff's officials believe the car of Harry C. Kramer IV, became stuck in the snow as he was trying to pull out of his driveway. Kramer apparently suffered some sort of medical event that left him with his foot stuck on the accelerator. The engine then apparently overheated, starting the fire.

The car fire was called in at 9:55 p.m. and Alabama Fire was dispatched.

Kramer's body was found by firefighters in the driver's seat of the vehicle after the fire was put out.

The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating Kramer's exact cause of death. Coroner Jack Taylor pronounced Kramer dead at the scene.

A pair of smoldering ovens mitts are the likely cause of a late morning fire in East Pembroke that has put an Angling Road couple out of their home.

The fire destroyed the back portion of the home at 2583 Angling Road, and it sustained heavy smoke and water damage throughout.

Daniel and Sarah Norway escaped the home safely with assistance from Deputy Brian Thompson. A dog was taken out of the house with Sarah and a cat was rescued by firefighters. Two other family cats perished in the fire.

The fire was reported at 12:10 p.m. Sarah reported smelling smoke, looked out the back door and saw flames. She woke up Daniel. He immediately went outside and found the back stairs gone and flames climbing up the walls.

Thompson arrived on scene to find Daniel trying to put out the fire and Sarah was still inside with the dog. Thompson got them out of the house. The deputy's report says "snow was thrown on the fire" while awaiting the arrival of firefighters, without saying who threw the snow on the fire.

According to Thompson's report, Sarah said she had thrown a pair of smoldering oven mitts out the back door around 11 a.m.

East Pembroke Fire responded to the scene and assisting at the scene or in fill-in roles were Town of Batavia, Pembroke, Corfu, Darien, Indian Falls and Oakfield along with Genesee County Emergency Services. An Animal Control officer also responded and took an orange tabby to the Batavia Animal Hospital.

The fire was first called in by neighbor Raymond Russell of Read Road.

The house is assessed at $71,300 and was insured.

(Initial Report)

A structure fire is reported at 2583 Angling Road. It's between Read Road and Church Street. There is black smoke billowing from the corner of the house.

A firefighter on scene says there is heavy smoke coming from the rear of the residence.

Another says "Occupants and dog are out. It is involved."

East Pembroke and Town of Batavia fire departments are responding. An engine from Corfu is also requested.

UPDATE 12:24 p.m.: This East Pembroke fire has gone to a second alarm. Mercy medics are on scene. Corfu has called for an engine from Darien to stand in at Corfu's hall. A tanker from Indian Falls is requested. "It's starting to go fast -- everybody be careful because of the ice." But a bit later "The floor is gone. All interior firefighters are ordered out of the structure."

UPDATE 12:29 p.m.: Town of Batavia calls for an engine from Corfu to fill in at its station. Some units on scene are working to try and protect the garage.

UPDATE 12:35 p.m.: Oakfield is called to fill in at Town of Batavia's fire hall. Despite the prior directive, and the collapse of the floor, firefighters are now on the second floor of the house working to put out the fire. National Grid is notified, no ETA given. A chief asks "Do we have a crew for the roof?"

UPDATE 12:50 p.m.: The chief says "The fire's out. We're just trying to clean up in here. There aren't any hot spots." Also, a badly injured cat was found at the scene (presumably it has suffered burns). It is not known whose cat it is, if anyone's. It has been placed inside the garage and people from the animal shelter are on their way to get it and treat it. According to Sheriff's Deputy Brian Thompson, the fire started outside in a stairwell from unknown causes. A man and woman were asleep in their bedroom when the woman awoke and smelled something burning. By then, the fire had starting climbing the walls of the residence.

UPDATE 1:13 p.m.: The rescued cat did not apparently suffer from burns. Rather it experienced severe smoke inhalation and was heavily doused with water. It is one of three of the family's cats and is being taken to Batavia Animal Hospital on West Main Street Road. The other two cats remain unaccounted for.

UPDATE 2:04 p.m. (by Howard): Red Cross requested to the scene. Also, photo above of the red tabby that was rescued from the house. It was covered in water that had frozen and probably suffered from smoke inhalation, but was crying loudly as it was being carried here. The firefighter is taking the cat to a garage where it might be warmer. An Animal Control officer picked up the cat a short time later and took it to Batavia Animal Hospital.

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An estimated $25,000 in damages was done to a garage in Darien on Tuesday when an unattended torpedo heater apparently ignited a blaze.

The heater was being used to warm up some machinery, according to a report by Deputy Dana Richardson.

The fire occurred at 1210 Herkimer Road, Darien, and was called in by homeowner Lawrence Stabell at 9:51 a.m.

No injuries were reported in the blaze. The garage, which was destroyed, was not attached to the house.

Darien Fire responded with mutual aid from Alexander and Bennington fire departments.

(initial report)

A garage fire has been reported at 1210 Herkimer Road, Darien.

Darien Fire with mutual aid from Alexander Fire responding.

A chief on scene reports the garage is fully involved.

The garage is not attached to any other structure.

UPDATE 10:23 p.m.: Fire knocked down.

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A truck fire has been reported in the area of 271 Council House Road, Basom.

Alabama Fire is responding.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: An Akron firefighter on scene reports the truck is fully involved. He also says the correct address is 7003 Council House Road. An Alabama chief arriving on scene confirms the address.

UPDATE 5:02 p.m.: Alabama chief says units can respond non-emergency. The truck isn't near a building.

UPDATE 5:11 p.m.: All Alabama units are clear.

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A barn built in the 1880s is reportedly on fire at 8283 North Road in the Town of Le Roy.

It is believed to have started by an electrical wire.

Le Roy Fire Department is called, along with mutual aid from Bergen and two tankers from Caledonia.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: Now they say fire is out. Calls for mutual aid to Caledonia and Mumford have been cancelled. "Everything's under control," says a chief.

UPDATE 5:11 p.m.: A Bergen ladder truck is asked to continue in nonemergency mode, but its tanker is told to return to quarters. National Grid has been notified but no estimated arrival time given. North Road was to be shut down by fire police, not sure if that's still the case. They are going to look at the structure with a thermal imaging camera.

UPDATE 5:21 p.m.: There are no electrical wires hanging anywhere as far as anyone can tell. The thermal imaging camera shows no hot spots.

UPDATE 5:25 p.m.: Le Roy and Bergen are returning to quarters.

An electrical fire has been reported at 1806 Indian Falls Road, Corfu.

The fire is reportedly in the wall of the residence.

Indian Falls and East Pembroke Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 9:56 p.m.: When the East Pembroke chief responded, he had Indian Falls standby in quarters. He requested from his own crew a thermal camera. He just released Indian Falls back in service.

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Several fire companies on the west side of the county are responding mutual aid, either directly to the fire, or as fill-ins, to a house fire in the Peter's Corners area of Alden, Erie County.

"A squirrel did it," according to a fire chief on scene at Clay and Myrtle in Le Roy.

A caller reported a loud noise and suspected a transformer blew.

There was no sparking, however, though one caller reported a brief power outage.

Le Roy Fire responded and investigated.

No lines down. No fire.

All units back in service.

A house fire was reported at 9503 Clipnock Road in Stafford. All equipment and manpower were called from Bethany and Stafford fire departments.

But as soon as the calls went out, residents called to say the fire is out.

It was in the upper apartment of the house and started by a stove fire.

Bethany is continuing its response non-emergency. Stafford is standing down.

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An "unattended brush fire" is reported off West Bergen Road, south of Dublin Road, in Bergen.

The Bergen Fire Department is responding.

A 48-year-old Oakfield resident died overnight as a result of a fire at 7154 Pine St., Oakfield.

Jeffery D. Repass, a resident at the address, was pronounced dead at the scene following the 12:39 a.m. blaze, which started in a bedroom.

Four other occupants escaped safely.

The house was heavily damaged and the cause of the blaze is under investigation by the Oakfield Fire Department, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and Genesee County Emergency Management.

Assisting at the scene were the Elba Fire Department, Alabama Fire Department, East Pembroke Fire Department, Mercy EMS and the Genesee County Coroner's Office.

(Initial Report)

A structure fire, believed to have begun in a bedroom, is reported at 7154 Pine St. in Oakfield. It's off of Maple Avenue, the last street coming out of the village.

Oakfield, Alabama and Elba fire units are called to respond.

UPDATE 12:56 a.m.: Firefighters are working on extricating people from the building.

UPDATE 12:58 a.m.: An investigator requested to the scene. At least one person is out of the building and requires medical attention.

UPDATE 1:06 a.m.: National Grid notified. No ETA.

UPDATE 1:24 a.m.: Fire's been knocked out.

UPDATE: Further updates on this fire will be available in the morning.

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The smell of a possible electrical fire is reported at a house located at 30 Chapel St. in Elba.

Elba Fire Department is called to respond.

UPDATE (7 p.m.): Firemen on scene say nothing was found. Elba fire is back in service.

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A stove fire is being reported at 4325 Drake St. Road, Elba.

Elba and Town of Batavia fire departments are  being dispatched.

UPDATE 12:18 a.m.: Smoke in the residence. Fire was in a self-cleaning oven and it appears to be out. Town of Batavia Engine 24 returning to the station.

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A grassfire is reported on Tapp Road, near West Bethany Road.

Bethany Fire Department is responding.

A fire has been reported in the area Walker and Hickox roads, Alexander.

The initial call was for a trailer fire.

First responders believe it's an unattended controlled burn.

Alexander Fire was dispatched. Town of Batavia's Ladder 25 was initially dispatched, but then asked to remain in quarters while the fire was investigated.

UPDATE 8:26 p.m.: Chief reports it's a controlled burn. "It's not going anywhere." All units back in service. The chief requests that a Sheriff's deputy contact the landowner and "advise him it shouldn't be done."

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An unknown type fire has been reported in the woods off Wilkinson Road near Route 33, Batavia.

A first responder reports that "it's a pretty good size fire."

East Pembroke Fire is responding.

After losing nearly everything in a devastating fire Saturday, Bill Scheg was victimized again sometime early Sunday morning when thieves broke into what was left of his taxidermy and gun shop on York Road.

Compared to the destruction of the log-cabin type house he built himself in Le Roy, Scheg's adjacent shop was relatively untouched by the fire and still contained ammo, arrows, bows and other items.

Deputy John Duyssen said, however, that there was enough damage that it's hard to tell what was taken.

When firefighters arrived at 9616 York Road early this morning to deal with a hot spot in the basement that had rekindled, they found charred wood and shotgun shells strewn in front of the door for Scheg's business, Genesee Valley Taxidermy & Shooting Supplies.

Those items weren't there when they cleared the scene from the initial fire shortly after midnight.

Vandals also knocked over Scheg's mailbox.

"Talk about kicking a man when he's down," said Tim Yaeger, coordinator of Genesee County Emergency Management Services.

Duyssen expressed concerned that ammo from the shop had been heat and water damaged. It could misfire, and seriously injure whoever tries to use it.

Investigators were on scene this morning trying to determine the cause of the fire. 

Yaeger said the cause was apparently accidental and arson has been ruled out, but the exact cause may not be discovered until Monday or later, when investigators can gain access to the electrical panel in the basement.

The insurance company needs to pay for debris removal before investigators can get to the basement.

Meanwhile, friends of Scheg's, such as Richard Barnard pictured below, began the tedious task of recovering Scheg's decades of hunting photos, saving and preserving what they can.

All of Scheg's prized big-game trophies -- Scheg had traveled the world hunting -- were destroyed in the fire.

More pictures after the jump: