(WNY News Now) Early Saturday morning, a structural fire broke out in an apartment complex on Foote Avenue. However, the Jamestown Fire Department’s prompt arrival and working smoke alarms allowed the fire to be rapidly contained, with no casualties recorded.
The Jamestown Fire Department (JFD) responded to a reported structure fire at 367 1/2 Foote Avenue, Jamestown, New York, at around 12:59 AM on November 30, 2024. When they arrived, they noticed thick smoke coming from the building’s first and second story windows. Thankfully, smoke alarms could be heard, and a resident from a back apartment was able to safely account for every person.
The first to reach the scene was JFD Engine Company 3 (E3). As soon as firefighters arrived at Apartment 1, they were able to restrict the fire to the kitchen. At 1:09 AM, a call for more off-shift firemen was made, and 15 firefighters and one chief officer arrived on the scene. Without spreading to other parts of the building, the fire was swiftly put out. After arriving, Ladder Company 1 (L1) performed a primary search of the building’s three flats, ensuring that the kitchen was the only area affected by the fire.
As workers conducted overhaul operations, Engine 4 (E4) deployed backup lines to make sure there was no concealed fire extension above the kitchen. Luckily, there was no extension discovered. incident investigators remained on the scene until around 4:00 AM to ascertain the cause of the incident, while fire crews started to evacuate the scene around 2:15 AM.
In the end, it was found that an unsupervised cooking appliance was the source of the accidental fire. Working smoke alarms were credited for averting a potentially more catastrophic outcome by warning households in advance. During the evacuation, the residents carefully retrieved two pets.
In collaboration with the Jamestown Police Department (JPD), BPU, National Fuel, the Department of Public Works (DPW), Alstar Ambulance, and the American Red Cross, the Jamestown Fire Department concluded the fire investigation.