Schenectady blaze fueled by faux-brick siding No one injured in Eastern Avenue house fire
By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer Last updated: 10:11 p.m., Saturday, August 16, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- A fast-moving fire -- fueled by the building's petroleum-based siding -- gutted a home on Eastern Avenue this evening, authorities said. No one was injured.
The blaze in the one-family home at 858 Eastern, which was reported at 7:18 p.m. and under control just over an hour later, sent a hazy curtain of black smoke for blocks east up Union Street and prompted fire officials to call in off-duty help.
Firefighters tried to battle the flames from the inside but evacuated when they took hold in the attic of the two-story home, said Assistant Fire Chief Michael DellaRocco.
The wood-frame home, which is adjacent to Vale Park on the south side of Eastern Avenue, also has what firefighters euphemistically call ``gasoline siding'' -- a petroleum-based imitation brick that feeds the flames, DellaRocco said.
"When it starts, it burns very freely," DellaRocco said.
Both floors suffered extensive fire damage. DellaRocco said it was too soon to speculate on the cause. Authorities also could not immediately say home many people lived in the home, but neighbors said it is a woman and three children.
John Chuley, who lives across the street, said he was waxing his car when he saw the mother come running from the house with the children, smoke creeping from rear, first-floor kitchen area.
Chuley, 40, said he called 911 and watched as the blaze appeared to spread to a back porch.
"From there it just accelerated,'' he said
The flames eventually surged through the front of the home, leaving scorch marks above the busted-out front door.
The house is located across from Wendell Avenue and an old fire house, Hose No. 6., which DellaRocco said has been closed for at least 20 years. Neighbors said the building now houses apartments.
Fire crews from Rotterdam assisted city firefighters at the scene, DellaRocco said, and back-up from Scotia and Niskayuna was called in to cover the rest of the city while all available fire equipment was dispatched to Eastern Avenue.
Would that be District 2 responding? I can't think of what might be the closest from Rotterdam to respond over there. It's a long trip from Rotterdam whoever it was, but I'm glad that they got it taken care of.
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Last updated: 2:26 p.m., Sunday, August 17, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- Cooking is to blame for a fire that destroyed a home at 858 Eastern Ave. Saturday night, Schenectady Fire Deputy Chief Mark Fragomeni said Sunday.
Fragomeni said a grease fire on a stove got out of control around 7:18 p.m. The fire caused extensive fire and smoke damage to the single-family home. The fire was also fueled the home's petroleum-based exterior siding. It took about an hour to bring the fire under control.
There were no injuries, but a cat died in the fire. A family of six has been displaced, Fragomeni said.
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