fire

This photo and video footage of last night's fire in Pavilion, at an apartment above the Post Office, was submitted by Kevin Clary.

No one was injured in the blaze. Check out our earlier post for the details.

A fire broke out in an apartment above the Pavilion Post Office shortly before midnight last night, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. A family of three escaped without injury. Fischer reports that 11 fire companies from three counties came out to battle the blaze. "Most of the mail" was saved, but the Post Office suffered some water damage.

(UPDATE): Earlier this morning, one of our readers attempted to anonymously submit photos and a video clip of the Pavilion fire. Those submissions did not come through. If you tried to send those to us, please send me an e-mail so that we can work out what went wrong and get up the information on the site for all of our readers. If you wish, you may remain anonymous.

An open house has been scheduled at the town of of Batavia Fire Hall, according to the Daily News. Folks are welcome to come down this Sunday, between 11:00am and 3:00pm, for free hot dogs and soda, and to pick up a free smoke detector and learn a little more about fire prevention. The Fire Hall is located at 8382 Lewiston Road in Batavia. (The Batavian put up a post yesterday with the news that the Le Roy Fire Department is doing much the same. An announcement on the department's Web site even offers to install the free smoke detector.)

News of the opening of Larry's Steakhouse, featured today on the front page, was announced here on The Batavian yesterday. You can also check out that post to download a full menu for the restaurant.

An announcement on the Web site for the Le Roy Fire Department claims that the fire crews will install a smoke detector in your home for free. All you have to do is follow the link on the site to send them an e-mail to request yours.

There is no indication on the site of who is eleigible for the free smoke detectors—only folks in Le Roy or across the county, we don't know. We've put in a call to the department to find out more info. We'll get it up as soon as it comes to us.

WBTA's Dan Fischer reports this morning that "faulty Halloween decorations" may have caused the fire that ripped through a South Byron home yesterday morning. Fire officials said yesterday that the home may be a total loss, estimating the damage at more than $50,000 already. No one was home at the time of the blaze at the property owned by Anthony Frongetta. A pet dog died in the fire.

The fire broke out approx 8:30 am this morning after the couple left their home for work.  I spoke with Wendy Frongetta one of the owners of the home at 6323 East Main St. South Byron.  Wendy spoke of the loss of her Dog "Frank" he was the sweetest 7yr. old pit-bull that they loved who did not escape the fire.  Heavy fire damage claimed about 80 percent of the home.  No other injuries were reported and cause is yet to be determined pending investigation.  Many fire crews were on the scene putting out the blaze.

Motorists dropping off students at Batavia High School are urged not to use the central bus loop, which is for buses only, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. There are safety concerns in allowing buses and passenger vehicles in the same area. If you are picking up or dropping off students, please use the "pick-up circle" near the band room.

City Council will meet tonight at 7:00pm in the Council chambers at City Hall.

Two children died in a house fire Sunday in the village of Fredonia. More details can be found in an article from the Jamestown Post-Journal.

In Medina, a school teacher was arrested and charged with official misconduct. Scott Ballard, 33, is accused of initiating relationships with two of his former students. More details can be found in an article from the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.

Two weeks ago today, Patrick Burk left a comment here on The Batavian that caught our attention and that we thought might deserve to catch the attention of some other folks. It was the day after a fire destroyed the home of a Byron family (the Schramms). He wrote:

Maybe the Muckdogs can help this poor family of ten foster children that just lost thier entire home this Saturday..... Have players and/or employees do collections for them. This act of compassion would be the icing on the cake of a fine season indeed. Just a thought.

Well, what was just a thought has become reality. Thanks to a little bit of tenacity on our part and willingness from every corner, the Batavia Muckdogs have agreed to host a collection drive and a fundraiser at the home game Saturday versus State College.

Here are the details:

The Schramm family’s home burned in the afternoon on Wednesday, August 27, 2008. The entire family of 15 survived but are now left with little or none of their personal belongings. While they have received a lot of clothing through the generosity of many in the community, their needs are still great.

Among items they are requesting are non-perishable foods, personal care products, large cooking pots and pans, bedding and towels, gift cards or cash donations.

Please bring only new items. The Muckdogs will also be holding an auction of baseball memorabilia during the game on Saturday night at 7:05 vs. State College, to help raise money. All proceeds will go to the Schramm family.

So for Patrick and anyone else who may have asked: What can I do? There is your answer. Head out to the game this weekend to not only support the hometown team as they try for the pennant but to help out your neighbors, too.

For those who don't already have all the info about the team, here's that:

Location: Dwyer Stadium, 299 Bank Street, Batavia, NY 14020
Phone: 585-343-5454; Fax: 585-343-5620
E-mail
Website
Tickets: $6 – box seats; $5 – general admission; $1 OFF – group rate (20+ people)
Season Tickets: $175 – box seats; $130 – general admission

Eleven fire crews were needed to battle a blaze that ripped through a house in Byron yesterday evening. Homeowners Ronald and Theodora Schramm were inside with eight children and one other adult when they smelled smoke and heard the flames. Ronald rushed everyone out of the house, opened the garage door and tried to fight back the flames with a garden hose while someone else dialed 911. The fire was far too tough, however, and Ronald was beat back by the heat. No one was injured.

The home at 6999 Bank Street Road was too far from any hydrant to hook up the fire hoses, so crews had to truck in tankfuls of water, said Tim Yager, coordinator of Genesee County Emergency Management Services. That made for a "labor intensive" fight that raged for more than two hours. Yager said there was a lot of "chasing the fire" around to get it completely extinguished.

Although the front part of the home escaped the complete damage that ravaged the rear of the structure, Yaeger thinks it will be a total loss. The home is insured.

No cause has yet been determined, said Yaeger. Crews have ruled out an electrical cause, but there was a shop area in the garage where the fire originated and some tools were plugged in to outlets there.

"At this point we're calling it accidental and undetermined," he said. That may never change.

The Daily News reports that the Schramms "have been foster parents for the county Department of Social Services for years," and "Theodora "Teddie" Schramm was honored for outstanding contribution to the department's Children's Services Division."

Breaking news... Firefighters are tackling a blaze at a home in Byron right now. Genesee County sheriff's deputies have confirmed that the residence is at 6999 Bank Street Road in the town of Byron. We will update with more information as it becomes available.

UPDATED (Thursday at 7 a.m. by Howard): WHAM reports:

A family that provides foster care for children escaped from a house fire Wednesday afternoon on Bank Road in Byron, Genesee County.

Firefighters said 10 children and 3 adults got out safely from the 100-year-old home.

You've likely already read our coverage of last night's City Council meeting, when we posted it last night, so we won't bother with a recap of Joanne Beck's articles about the meeting in today's Daily News. Instead, we'll jump right to the local section...

Reporter Paul Mrozek tells us that the fire Friday at Willow Specialties caused more than $100,000 in damage—but it could have been much worse. Willow CEO Jeff Daggs said: "Ninety percent of our product is not damaged. That's what we believe right now."

Matt Surtel put together a nice tribute piece about Jenny Snow, the news director at WCJW, Warsaw's AM radio station, who died unexpectedly at her home Saturday at the age of 53.

The Genesee County Legislature will meet Wednesday in a special session to vote on the proposed consolidation of dispatch services that was approved last night by Batavia's City Council. City police dispatchers will make the move to the sheriff's office on Park Road complete by Monday. That meeting will be at 7:00pm at the Old County Courthouse.

Roger Muehlig was in Le Roy Monday when Republican Congressional candidate Christopher Lee stopped by Stein Farms to chat with area farmers about labor issues. Muehlig writes: "Lee, a political newcomer, said he didn't have all the answers, but one of the reasons he was successful in business was that he listens to everyone." That's well and good. But there are already plenty of politicians in Albany who are good at listening. Anyone can listen. We don't need more people to listen. We need people to act.

For these and other stories, pick up a copy of the Daily News at local newsstands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Batavia's City Council will meet tonight at 7:00pm at City Hall, according to WBTA. The meeting, originally scheduled for August 11, was postponed twice. Council is expected to vote on whether to fund the replacement of a sign for the mall. Also meeting tonight at 7:00pm is the Board of Education. They will assemble at the administration building on Washington Avenue.

No cause has yet been determined in the fire at Willow Industries at 34 Clinton Street that erupted Friday night. The fire was brought under control shortly after midnight. Damage was confined to the warehouse, and some of the materials inside are reported destroyed by fire. Steve Ognibene was driving by that evening when he spotted the fire trucks. He put together this video footage of the scene, which was sent to the Batavian over the weekend:

Reports have come in about some wires down on Junction Road between South Lake and Perry roads in the Pavilion district. Fire crews are on the scene. But if you've got to head that way, you may want to think detour.

Check out WBTA for these and other stories:

• The cause of a fire at Cristina's Restaurant early Saturday morning is still being investigated. The kitchen and restaurant portions of the building suffered a total loss, and the banquet rooms sustained smoke and water damage. Business owner Charles Brumstead is asking anyone who has upcoming reservations at Cristina's to call (585) 343-1029.
• Temperatures will again climb towards 90 degrees during the second half of this week, and high humidity won't make it any more tolerable. Yay.
• Sen. Charles Schumer says that families will pay an average of $720 more to heat their homes this winter. In the meantime, he's putting together a proposal that would provide federal aid to help families cover the cost of the increase. We should check out his Web site from time to time to see where it goes.

These photos were sent to us this morning of the fire at Cristina's Restaurant on Ellicott Street. Batavia firefighters say that the blaze broke out around 1:00am this morning when the building was vacant. There were no injuries, and the fire is reported as under control.

Photos taken by Steve Ognibene.

From the Daily News (Friday):

• Intern Kristen Kotz sat down with Batavia Fire Capt. Michael Drew to talk fire safety. Check out the article on the front page for some tips.
• Genesee County's Planning Board voted to turn the soon-to-be empty lot at the corner of Bank Street and Washington Avenue into a "green area" — United Memorial Medical Center's Growney Building currently located there will be demolished. Reporter Paul Mrozek writes: "UMMC wants to plant grass and shrubs, put in paths and picnic benches and add off-street parking." No date has yet been set for the demolition, and the city of Batavia still has to grant final approval for the plan.
• Reporter Virginia Kropf wrote a great piece on a group of retired friends who gather twice a week for breakfast at Miss Batavia Diner. It starts: "Retirement for a group of local friends means starting the day off with coffee and camraderie, and if they should happen to solve the world's problems in the meantime, so much the better." What a great lede!

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.

Batavia will host a public hearing later this summer on the state's proposed changes to the open burning law. The Daily Mail in Greene County reported that the town of Athens is right now taking a closer look at those changes and urging residents to get involved.

"There are a lot of small communities in the state, particularly here in upstate New York, where burn barrels are used on a regular basis," said a Council member in Athens.

Open fires are currently banned only in cities, villages and towns with populations greater than 20,000.

Changes being considered by the state Department of Environmental Conservation would "limit agricultural burning to naturally grown products such as vines, branches, leaves and stubble." Exception will be made for "fire training, small cooking, campfires and ceremonial fires."

The hearing in Batavia will be held Juy 2. No other information was given about the session, its location or time.

DEC invites all persons, organizations, corporations and government agencies that may be affected by the proposed revisions to attend the hearings. In addition, written statements may be submitted to DEC until 5 p.m., July 10.

For more information on the proposals, information may be obtained from Robert Stanton, professional engineer, DEC’s Division of Air Resources, at the Albany’s Broadway address or by calling (518) 402-8403.

Is open burning an issue in and around Batavia? It's clear that agriculture has a major presence here. Would any farmers be directly affected by these changes? What is being burned now that would not be permitted if the changes go through?

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office released an official statement last night citing a smoldering cigarette as the "probable" cause of the house fire at Lewiston Road Friday that claimed the life of 17-year-old Erik Mooney. WBTA reports that Mooney's mother, July Clark,  "told investigators she had been smoking in the enclosed porch where the fire was believed to have started."

Previous related posts:

• Lewiston fire coverage roundup
• Lewiston Road fire claims life
• Teenager dies in house fire

From the Daily News (Monday):

• A memorial service has been scheduled Friday at 4:00pm at the Oakfield-Alabama High School for 17-year-old Erik Mooney who perished in a fire Friday at his Lewiston Road home. The Rev. Mark Perkins of Oakfield-Alabama Baptist Church will officiate. Erik's obituary is in today's paper.
• Reporter Paul Mrozek went from the pumps to the car dealerships to find out how some folks are coping with the escalating price of gas. No surprise, he found that quite a few commuters were trading in their big-rig trucks, trying to go from gas guzzler to fuel sipper. The Batavian sought your stories about how to handle the pinch at the pumps last week — and a few folks already started the dialogue. Now it's your turn. Log in and tell us how it has hit you and how you're planning to cope. And if anyone has any great ideas for a way out of the mess-turning-disaster, please, share.
• Everybody loves a circus! Well, one will be in town on June 10, when the Batavia Kiwanis and Genesee County Agricultural Society welcome the Carson & Barnes Circus to town. Get your seat in the big top between 4:30 and 7:30pm for the show at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. People are invited to watch the big top go up for free starting at 8:00am. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Holland Land Office Museum, First Niagara Bank, the YWCA and the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.
• Once you've had your fill of acrobats and elephants, head out to the airport between July 2 and 6 for the Batavia Boogie, a skydiving extravaganza hosted by the Frontier Skydivers. For more information, visit Frontier's Web site — if for no other reason than to check out the great photos.
• Intern Kristen Kotz wrote a fine piece about Batavian Joseph Langen's new book, The Pastor's Inferno, a "fictional account of a priest ... who seeks redemption after abusing a young, male parishioner at his parish." You can purchase the novel or download an ebook version at Book Locker.

Subscribe to the Daily News at BataviaNews.com, or pick up a copy at a local newsstand, such as Main Street Coffee.