Fire in Large, Mixed-Use Building on Burnet Ave.

Fire in Large, Mixed-Use Building on Burnet Ave.

Published on April 25, 2024

Syracuse, NY- On Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 8:18 p.m., Syracuse Firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a reported fire in the 400 block of Burnet Ave. 911 callers reported seeing smoke from I-690. Firefighters from Station 1, on S. State St. arrived at the scene moments later to find heavy black smoke billowing from an overhead door at 430 Burnet Ave. As additional firefighters arrived at the scene, they reported fire showing at the rear of the building as well. A signal '99' was transmitted, indicating a working fire.

Teams of firefighters began to stretch hoses into the building, while other teams started methodical searches of the structure. The building, which housed several different businesses, had a very large floorplan that included a large garage area, as well as office space. The mixed-use space posed a challenge for searching firefighters, and crews moving hoses encountered heavy flames as they pushed deeper into the building. Crews were able to get water on the fire relatively quickly, and within 10 minutes had extinguished a large amount of fire. Searches of the structure were negative. All the occupants had been able to escape prior to the Fire Department's arrival.

As firefighters brought the flames under control in one part of the building, fire began to show near the roof area in a separate part of the building. The fire had spread into a void area above the ceiling of the building and was burning in a void space under the roof, and into the roofing material. Firefighters began the arduous task of opening holes in the roofing and exterior sheathing to expose the flames. Additional fire companies were called to the scene to assist in this labor-intensive task. Several hose lines were stretched via ladders to the roof as firefighters worked. Crews used power saws and hand tools to cut inspection holes in the siding of the building to ensure the fire spread had been cut off. The fire was declared out after approximately 60 minutes.

The building sustained fire, smoke, and water damage to the interior on the first floor as well as the exterior and roof. Syracuse Fire Investigators were at the scene working to determine the origin and cause of the fire. That investigation is ongoing. There were no injuries reported to civilians or to Fire Department personnel.

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.

• Syracuse Fire News