A major blaze in Johnson City has left 25 people without a home.
The Johnson City Fire Department responded to a second-alarm basement fire at about 5 p.m. on Feb. 15 in a multi-apartment building located at 5 Cherry St. in the Village of Johnson City.
Prior to their arrival, responding units were advised by patrol officers that heavy smoke was visible from the front of the building, according to a press release from the fire department. Additional updates indicated that the basement was fully involved and by 5:10 p.m., the first-due engine company reported heavy fire on the first floor of the three-story building.
Fire extended through the eastside of the structure, threatening the neighboring building. Additional on-duty and mutual aid personnel were brought to the scene as the conditions began “rapidly deteriorating.”
After putting out the exterior fire, firefighters entered through a rear door and began extinguishing fire within the first-floor apartment. The efforts to suppress the fire were “significantly hindered” by “multiple renovations to the original structure” and the balloon-frame construction which lacked fire stops in the wall cavities, allowing the fire to travel from the basement to the attic.
The building’s “reconfigured apartment layouts” and interior staircases that had been sealed at the top with sheetrock further complicated access, according to the fire department. Ultimately, firefighters were able to gain access to the attic by laddering to a top-floor window.
Crews discovered concealed fire in the walls of the building and “rapidly worsening” conditions in the attic forced firefighters to withdraw to the second-floor porch. Operations shifted to defensive tactics to protect neighboring buildings.
There were no reported serious injuries to first responders or residents. The building, which contained five apartments, housed 25 people. The Red Cross was at the scene assisting families who had been displaced.
Due to the extensive structural damage, risk of further collapse and the building’s proximity to neighboring structures and the roadway, the building was immediately demolished in accordance with village code.
In a Feb. 16 Facebook post, Village of Johnson City Mayor Christina Charuk called on the Johnson City community to “coordinate organized, safe and respectful community support,” and fill out an emergency response form listing ways in which support can be provided.
Charuk has organized a GoFundMe to raise money for the victims of the fire. As of Wednesday morning, over 60 donors had raised over $6,000 towards a $9,000 goal.
The fire department was assisted on scene by the Johnson City Police Department, Union Ambulance, and the fire departments of the City of Binghamton, Village of Endicott, East Maine, Endwell, Five Mile Point, and West Corners. The Prospect Terrace Fire Department handled additional calls within Johnson City while crews responded to Cherry Street.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Johnson City Fire Marshal’s Office andthe Johnson City Police Department. The fire department is urging anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Johnson City Fire Marshal’s Office at 607-729-0428.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: 25 people displaced by fire in Johnson City apartment building
Reporting by Jillian McCarthy, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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