New York Funeral Home Destroyed by Fire

Dec. 13--AUSABLE FORKS -- Fire engulfed Zaumetzer-Sprague Funeral Home on Tuesday, destroying a landmark local business.

The building had cleared out only 10 minutes before the fire started, as mourners of James Smith left to attend the funeral at a local church. No one was injured.

The call came in at about 11:50 a.m., and roughly 75 firefighters from area departments were dispatched to the building on College Street, Clinton County Emergency Services Director Eric Day said.

By 2 p.m., smoke continued to billow from the roof as local residents stood in the cold to watch firefighters try to save the structure.

Zaumetzer-Sprague owner John Thwaits and his wife, Jari, stood watching their family business burn.

IN THE FAMILY

John said he has operated the Funeral Home for about five or six years, but the building has been a Funeral Home since 1905.

Robyn McLean, the Thwaitses's daughter, said her grandfather and great-grandfather owned the business before her father.

She was working at CVPH Medical Center when she got the call from her mom in Plattsburgh.

"I grew up here," she said, recalling the times she would spend there with her grandfather. "It's my childhood."

The Thwaitses live two miles from the Funeral Home, but McLean's grandparents lived there when they owned it.

HEAVY SMOKE

Flames shot from the top of the Funeral Home, as fire crews, including the Keeseville Fire Department aerial ladder truck, tried to put out the blaze.

Part of the roof collapsed during the fire, as heavy, black smoke poured from the broken windows of the top floor.

The Essex County Cause and Origin Team was at the site, but Day said, "it's way too early to tell how it started."

Firefighters were able to save important documents from the business, he said.

"There's a lot of work to do."

SCHOOL EVACUATED

Keeseville, Jay, Upper Jay, AuSable Forks and Saranac fire departments aided in the fire's response, with Peru and South Plattsburgh fire departments on stand-by.

College Street was blocked off, and AuSable Forks Elementary School was evacuated at about 12:30 p.m. due to its close proximity to the fire.

"Smoke was coming into the building quite heavily," said Paul Savage, superintendent of AuSable Valley Central School District.

Savage said the evacuation was a precautionary measure taken to ensure the safety of students and faculty.

"It was close enough to the school where we didn't want any breathing issues or anything like that with the smoke."

The school's students and staff were transported by bus to the Town of Jay Community Center, where they were held until regular dismissal time.

Savage said the evacuation and relocation went smoothly, and the children were well-behaved throughout the ordeal.

"We did our very best to make sure that everyone was safe and sound, and they were."

Regular classes are scheduled to resume at the school tomorrow.

STILL IN BUSINESS

McLean said Zaumetzer-Sprague is that area's only funeral home.

"Everybody knows them. It's a staple in the town."

John Thwaits said they have made other arrangements to continue their work and that people can still contact them at the same number when they are in need of funeral services.

"We are still in business."

-- Staff Writer Ashleigh Livingston contributed to this report.