Stubborn NY Blaze Tamed in Six Hours

Aug. 30 -- SYRACUSE, NY -- Syracuse firefighters put out most of the fire that has burned on the 700 block of North Salina Street for at least six hours on Wednesday night, according to Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds. 

"It had a pretty good head start with the wind," Monds said. 

In addition to the wind, heat and building alterations made the fire more difficult to fight, Monds said. Though he said no residents or firefighters suffered injuries, the fire created dangerous conditions inside and outside the building.

More than 90 firefighters arrived to battle the fire, which produced smoke that could be seen as far out as Syracuse University and on parts of Interstate 690. As of 8:30 p.m., some of the fire still burned, Monds said. 

The fire will close the 700 block of North Salina Street until further notice and the 600 block of North Salina Street, between Division and Catawba streets, through Wednesday night, according to a release from the City of Syracuse.

Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire. 

"We're gonna be here for a long time to make sure the fire's out," Monds said.

As Monds left the Public Safety Building earlier Wednesday, he could see the heavy, black smoke coming from the 700 block of North Salina Street. Wind blew the smoke all the way to Lodi Street. 

When Monds arrived, after the fire had been called in at approximately 2:30 p.m., district chief Colin Duffy told him the wind was going to make the fire tough to fight.

The fire had also already built momentum. Once firefighters reached the third floor of buildings on North Salina Street, they determined the fire's heat was too intense. They had to fight the fire from outside the building, Monds said. 

Because of the age of the buildings -- all buildings on the 700 block of North Salina Street were built before 1951, according to Syracuse housing data -- alterations had been made to the them and increased the difficulty of fighting the fire, Monds said. 

The second floor, attics and lofts and the roofs had been connected, Monds said. In addition, plumbing and wiring alterations created areas where the fire could travel between the buildings, Monds said. 

When Monds arrived, smoke billowed from the back of the apartments, but he's unsure of where the fire started.  

"Once it got up into the roof, it traveled north, south, east and west," Monds said.

The fire traveled between four buildings on the block, while two more buildings had windows knocked out for ventilation, Monds said.

As firefighters shot water from lifts and from the street, the smoke ranged in color from yellow to brown to black. It was often so thick that bystanders couldn't see the 600 block of North Salina Street. At points, the carbon monoxide levels on the streets reached 60 parts per million, Monds said.

Consistent exposure to carbon monoxide at 70 parts per million can cause headache, fatigue and nausea, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Once firefighters reentered the building, they found holes in the floors and some of the internal portions of the building had collapsed, Monds said. He could not confirm whether the building was a total loss. 

"It's not a safe building," he said. 

Monds didn't know how many residential units were in the building or how many people are getting help from Red Cross. 

"We're still pouring water on the fire," Monds said. "There's gonna be a lot of hotspots."

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