Syracuse, NY- On October 6, 2023, at 2:39 a.m., Syracuse Firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a reported possible fire at 214 Burdick Avenue, on the City’s North side. Firefighters from Station 2, on Lodi Street, arrived on the scene less than three minutes later to find black smoke coming from windows on the second floor of a two-and-a-half-story, two-family home at that address. A signal ’99’ was transmitted. There were initial reports that there were possibly occupants trapped inside.
Teams of firefighters entered the home and began a methodical search, while other firefighters stretched hoses to put out the fire. As they reached the second floor, firefighters encountered thick, blinding smoke, and high heat. A search team from Truck 2 quickly located an unconscious male victim and moved him to the outside of the structure, where crews immediately began administering medical care. As the firefight continued, there were reports of one person still missing. The search team re-entered the fire building, and continued to methodically search the second floor, along with several other crews. They located a second victim near the rear of the building. Crews worked together to move the unconscious victim out a window and down a ladder to waiting Paramedics. Both victims were transported to local hospitals by Syracuse Fire Department Ambulance, and AMR. At the time of this release, both victims were in critical condition.
Crews needed approximately 40 minutes to completely extinguish the fire. Additional fire companies were called to the scene to assist with the operation. Syracuse Fire Investigators were on the scene, working to determine the origin and cause of the fire. The second floor of the building sustained heavy fire, smoke, and water damage. The first-floor apartment of the building also sustained smoke damage. There were no injuries reported to fire department personnel.
A total of 43 Fire Department personnel responded to this incident, 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.