fires

An "unknown type fire" is reported at or near 2 Lewis Place in the City of Batavia.

City Fire Department is responding.

It could be a bonfire. The young people who called dispatch are said to have been "very evasive" on the call-back by authorities.

A fire is reported at a house at 433 E. Main St. in Batavia, between Harvester and Vine. City firefighters on scene say smoke is showing.

The fire is believed to have begun in the basement. Streets in the vicinity are being shut down to traffic.

Smoke rapidly began pouring from all three stories of the building soon after firefighters arrived.

UPDATE (5:07 p.m.): Until about 10 minutes ago, fire crews believed someone was still inside the building, now that is being re-evaluated.

The building is owned by Terry Platt of Platt Properties in Batavia. It is a rooming house with eight rooms and two apartments.

UPDATE (5:11 p.m.): No one was found inside during the initial search of the building. The landlord is providing the residents' names and contact information so fire personnel can account for all the occupants. Then the premises will be searched again.

UPDATE (5:26 p.m.): The fire is not yet under control. Smoke is still coming from the building. Elba Fire Department responded as mutual aid to the scene and Mercy EMS is also there. Oakfield Fire Department is asked to fill in at the station for the Town of Batavia, which also responded to the fire.

American Red Cross is called to stage at Wilson Farms on Main Street to provide aid to seven people. There seems to be some trouble getting water for one of the hoses.

UPDATE (5:49 p.m.): There is still fire on the first and second stories. All interior firefighters are ordered out and to muster in front for an accountability roll call. A cop on scene said they are going to "flood the building." All occupants are out and accounted for.

UPDATE (5:56 p.m.): Flames six feet high are now shooting out of the roof. National Grid is called to the scene.

UPDATE (6:05 p.m.): A plume of black and gray smoke is visible for at least a hundred feet above the house.

UPDATE 6:45 p.m. (by Howard) Town of Batavia's ladder, Engine 25, is on scene. It looks like the plan is to bring it around to the back of the house and pour as much water on the roof as possible. The construction of the house, built around the turn of the century or before, has "balloon" walls, making it possible for flames to shoot up from the basement all the way to the attic. Once the fire got into the walls, it became very difficult to fight from the inside.

11:04 p.m.:  City Engine 12 is back in service. Town of Batavia Engine 18 is back in service. Genesee County Emergency Management is going back in service. A pump has been requested in the basement to start pumping out water so that the investigation can be started.

11:17 p.m.: All Town of Batavia units back in service. City personnel who responded to the second and third alarms being released.

1:17 a.m.: Ladder 15 back in quarters.

The Pavilion Fire District is responding to a large brush fire reported in Covington, Wyoming County. The caller was at 566 Wyoming Road when he notified authorities about a blaze in the woods in the vicinity of Wyoming and Crossman roads.

A car fire with heavy smoke showing is reported on the Thruway at mile marker 396. Pembroke Fire is en route.

Of the 18 fire departments in Genesee County, 15 of them responded to grass fires on Friday and/or Saturday.

A total of 13 separate grass fires were reported over the two-day period, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger.

Over the 48-hour period, local fire departments responded to 58 emergency calls total.

No grass fires were reported Easter Sunday.

All of the fires were potential violations of the state's new ban on open burning, which prohibits residents from going through the spring ritual of piling up fallen leaves and branches and lighting a match. No open burning is allowed from March 16 through May 14 (for more on the new regulations, click here).

"While there was a high volume of grass fire calls, this happens every year time this year and it's why the DEC and New York enacted new regulations not to allow open burning," Yaeger said. "There is no green vegetation, very low humidity and just a little bit of breeze, so even just a few embers can blow off and start a very large fire."

So-called "controlled burns" this time of year create a number of problems for local fire departments, Yaeger said. Responding to the calls themselves can be dangerous, there is always a danger in fighting any kind of fire, and such fires can quickly spread to structures.

That's exactly what happened in Covington, Wyoming County, on Saturday when the Pavilion Fire Department (Covington is in the Pavilion district) responded to a barn fire at 1:34 p.m.

Byron Fire and several mutual-aid departments were tied up for a couple of hours on a rubber fire on Tower Hill Road. The Department of Environmental Conservation was called in for that blaze.

"One of the biggest concerns we have is when people out there are burning illegally," Yaeger said. "It's one thing to burn brush. It's another thing when they're out there burning tires, pesticides, tanks, things that were never allowed to be burned. That’s a real concern to us. It creates pollution and there's a bigger danger of secondary fires."

Over Friday and Saturday, Le Roy responded to four grass fires, Alexander three (all on Saturday), Darien, three, and Stafford, two. Stafford also responded to a locomotive fire (pictures here).

Stafford 2nd Asst. Chief Scott Kibler noted in comments that he and his fellow volunteers were on duty from 3:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Batavian was with Stafford on the Roanoke Road fire, and the homeowner there seemed fairly embarrassed to have the fire department out to his house. He said he wasn't clear on the new burn regulations. DEC wasn't called to the scene and there was no apparent wllingness to ticket him.

Yaeger said he instructed fire chiefs back in October to use their discretion on whether to call out the DEC to a grass fire, at least for this first year, while people are still getting used to the change in the law.

"We want to inform the public of the new regulations and try to work with them," Yaeger said.

Yaeger said that if you see a possible controlled burn, but it's not out of control, it would be appropriate to contact DEC. If the fire seems to be spreading, witnesses should call 9-1-1.

Yet another grass fire is reported in Alexander, at 3110 Dodson Road. Alexander Fire is responding.

UPDATE (8:47 p.m.): All units are back in service. The fire was caused by a homeowner burning trash, according to firefighters at the scene.

A fully involved structure fire is occurring at 6137 Merrill Road in Byron. It is located between Warboys and North Bergen roads.

The call has gone to second alarm and heavy smoke is reported.

Fire trucks from South Byron, Byron, Bergen, North Bergen and Elba are responding. Tankers from Byron and Bergen are responding and a fast team from the Town of Batavia. Stafford is on standby so is Churchville. Mercy EMS has also been called.

Monroe County aid has been requested.

UPDATE (11:33 a.m.): Two more tankers have been requested, including one specifically from Churchville.

UPDATE (11:38): Le Roy Fire Department is on scene.

(UPDATE: 11:42) Elba is called for more manpower and tanker. National Grid has been notified.

(UPDATE: 11:45 a.m.) "They lost their draft, we've got no water," a firefighter yells, apparently about one of the pumpers. Another tanker is almost there. An aerial unit is requested. Law enforcement is called to Merrill and North Bergen roads, because "people are going past fire police, they refuse to stop."

(UPDATE: 11:51) Bergen is on scene with a full tanker. A tanker driver is requested.

(UPDATE: 12:01 p.m.) A code-enforcement officer is requested to the scene.

(UPDATE: 12:02 p.m.) American Red Cross is requested to the scene. Per Byron command, some firefighters are leaving to fill tankers and others called to take their places.

(UPDATE: 12:06 p.m.) An Oakfield engine has been requested to standby at the Elba fire hall.

(UPDATE: 12:09 p.m.) Supertanker 87 is nearing scene. Byron command tells the driver: "Radio traffic is heavy and I not gonna be able to yell at you, so I'll hold flags up (to give directions). The tankers are going in and out of here." Law enforcement is called to Route 237 -- "There's a lot of traffic, it's getting dangerous."

(UPDATE: 12:20 p.m.) National Grid on scene.

(UPDATE: 12:44 p.m.) Update is requested on availability of helicopter. Answer: Unable to respond due to weather.

(UPDATE: 1:04 p.m.) Byron Town Supervisor Bob Crnkovich is requested to the scene.

(UPDATE: 1:07 p.m.) Heard on the scanner: "Joe, do you want a cup of coffee?" Reply, with a note of enthusiasm "Ab-sol-utely!" Also, Red Cross is almost on scene.