SYRACUSE, N.Y. –
On Wednesday, June 19, 2024, Syracuse Firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a report of a possible fire at 923 Park Avenue, on the City’s West Side. Firefighters from Station 5, on North Geddes Street, arrived on the scene moments later and reported a two-and-a-half-story, wood-framed, two-family home with heavy smoke emanating from the basement. Crews recognized the signs of a basement fire, and a signal ‘99’ was transmitted.
There were indications on arrival that there were possibly still occupants inside the structure. Firefighters from the first arriving companies initiated an aggressive interior fire attack, moving hoses to the basement, as search teams began a methodical search of the area. Almost immediately, the search team encountered a person, semi-conscious and unable to escape. Firefighters radioed that they had found a victim while they moved the person up the basement stairs into fresh air and to a waiting ambulance crew. With the victim removed, crews returned to the firefight as additional hoses were stretched into the home to cut off the fires spread. The hose team in the basement was able to bring the flames under control.
Firefighters shifted to an overhaul operation, searching for hotspots and hidden fire spread. Crews spent more than an hour chasing flames behind walls and in stud chases. Once the fire had been completely extinguished, a coordinated effort was made to clear the building of smoke and other products of combustion. The fire was declared out after approximately 100 minutes. The basement of the home, where the fire began, suffered fire, smoke, and water damage. The first and second floors also suffered smoke and water damage. A hole was cut in the roof to assist ventilation efforts. Syracuse Fire Investigators were at the scene working to determine the cause of the fire. That investigation is ongoing.
The victim removed from the basement was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries related to smoke inhalation. Their condition and extent of injuries is not known at this time. A second person was also transported for evaluation after escaping the building. Their injuries are not considered life threatening. A total of six people, including those transported to hospitals, were displaced by this fire. The Red Cross was assisting them. There were no reports of injuries to firefighters at the scene. Firefighters from across the city were rotated through the scene to assist first due companies, many of whom had spent several hours at an earlier emergency on Carbon Street.
A total of 49 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.