Syracuse, NY- On June 6, 2023, at 5:18 a.m., Syracuse Firefighters were by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a reported fire at 604 North Lowell Ave., in the City’s Tipperary Hill Neighborhood. Firefighters from Engine 9, normally stationed on Shuart Ave, were the first to arrive on the scene moments after the initial dispatch. Engine 9 had been relocated to Station 5 on S. Geddes St. due to an earlier fire on Putnam Street. On their arrival at the scene, fire companies noted heavy smoke coming from the roof of a one-story home. A signal ‘99’, indicating a working fire, was transmitted.
Firefighters went to work stretching hoses into the home to fight the flames and performing searches for any trapped occupants. The fire was located on and above the first floor. Searches were negative; all of the occupants were able to escape prior to the fire department’s arrival. Firefighters were able to rescue two cats from the structure, but sadly several more were unaccounted for.
This was the overnight crew’s fourth Signal ‘99’ of the shift. Many of the firefighters on the scene had responded directly from the scene of an earlier fire on Putnam Street. Other crews had spent hours on the scene of one or both fires on the North Side earlier in the shift. Despite the exhausting work, crews were able to bring the fire under control in approximately 30 minutes. Syracuse Fire Investigators were on the scene, working to determine the origin and cause of the fire. There were no injuries reported to civilians or to firefighters.
47 fire personnel responded to this scene, including command and support staff. This fire displaced two occupants. The American Red Cross was assisting them. Syracuse Fire Department Ambulance, Syracuse Police, National Grid, American Medical Response, and the Red Cross also responded to this scene.
We would like to extend special thanks to our partners in public safety. The Onondaga County 911 Center, SPD, AMR, National Grid, and The Red Cross all assisted with the four major fires over the course of the shift and played a key role in the overall success of each operation.