Syracuse, NY- On June 29, 2023, at 7:18 p.m., Syracuse Firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a possible fire at 703 Niagara Street on the city’s Near West Side. Firefighters from Station 1, on S. State St., arrived on the scene in under 2 minutes and reported fire on the porch of a two-story home. Initial reports were that there were still people in the home when firefighters arrived. A signal ’99’ was transmitted, and firefighters went to work.
Teams of firefighters used hoses to spray the fire on the exterior porch, while other teams entered the home to check for occupants. One occupant was found on the first floor, and one on the second floor. Both were able to exit the home with some assistance from crews on the scene. Once outside, both occupants were attended to by ambulances from AMR and Syracuse Fire.
The fire on the exterior was extinguished, and hoses were moved inside to check for extension. Thanks to an aggressive offensive attack, the fire was prevented from spreading to the inside of the home. Firefighters utilized fans to clear the house of smoke and toxic products of combustion.
The front porch of the home sustained moderate to heavy fire damage. The inside of the home sustained minor smoke damage. Firefighters used tarps to protect the occupants’ belongings from further damage while they completed firefighting operations inside. Syracuse fire investigators were on the scene working to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Both occupants were displaced by this fire, they were being assisted by the American Red Cross this evening.
A total of 37 fire personnel responded to this fire, including command and support staff. Syracuse Fire Department Ambulance, Syracuse Police, American Medical Response, National Grid, and the American Red Cross also responded to the scene. We thank our partners at the 911 Center, SPD, AMR, National Grid and the Red Cross. This fire was the 40th major structure fire in the City of Syracuse this year, and the 15th for the month of June 2023.