Published: April 25, 2008 07:28 pm            

FIRE CALLS: Falls Fire Department reports for April 26

Niagara FallsFire Department

Calls for service

For the period of April 18 to 24 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 128 calls.

• FIRE: LaSalle area fire units were dispatched at 8:18 p.m. April 18 for a reported structure fire in the 500 block of 77th Street. Initial reports indicated there was a fire at the rear of the address. When fire units arrived, they were met with a small fire involving the exterior of the garage. Firefighters put out the fire and checked the interior of the garage. It was determined that a fire in an illegal “fire pit” was placed too close to the garage causing the nearby structure to become involved.

• FIRE: Just as units were clearing from the 77th Street fire on April 18, calls came in to central alarm reporting smoke in a high-rise residential structure in the 800 block of Niagara Avenue. Engine 3 arrived on the scene and confirmed the reports and additional units were sent to assist. Firefighters found visible smoke in numerous areas of the building and believed the fire involved some wood products. Because of the numerous locations of smoke, firefighters believed that the smoke was being spread by the building’s ventilation system. Fire apparatus was positioned on Whirlpool Street and were in the process of preparing to connect hoses to the standpipe system when they noticed smoke rising up from the gorge. Further investigation determined that the building air handling system was picking up the smoke from the fire in the gorge and distributing it throughout the building.

• FIRE: The area around Home Depot, 750 Builders Way, was filled with traffic Saturday as many residents took advantage of the nice weather and were out buying material to get their yards fixed up. At 5:09 p.m. a report of an automobile fire in the parking lot of the movie theater was received. Fire units arrived on the scene to find fire involving not one, but two different vehicles. Hoselines were quickly deployed in an attempt to control the fire before it spread to other nearby vehicles. The fire was able to be confined to the two original vehicles, but not before over $30,000 dollars of damage was done. The fire which started in the engine compartment of a late model Jeep is believed to have been electrical in nature.

• FIRE: The normally quiet 400 block of College Avenue was filled with the odor of burning material shortly before 1 a.m. Monday. Engine 3 from the Bridge Station was dispatched for a reported outside fire and arrived to find that a pile of leaves had been intentionally set on fire. Police officers in the area noticed a group of people nearby the fire scene and when questioned one of the group admitted to intentionally lighting the fire. The fire was extinguished quickly with no significant damage. The individual who admitted to starting the fire was subsequently charged with a criminal offense.

• FIRE: Lunchtime patrons of a restaurant in the 8600 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard noticed smoke in the structure Monday and alerted central alarm to the possibility of a building fire. Firefighters arrived and found a light haze in the building and noticed that work was being done on the roof. It was determined that the source of the smoke was a small fire that was accidentally started by the roofers. The fire was quickly extinguished with minor damage to the building.

• FIRE: Once again Falls firefighters responded to a kitchen fire, when at 1:29 p.m. Tuesday, they were sent to the 1200 block of South Avenue. Firefighters arrived on the scene and reported “smoke showing” from the residential structure. The interior of the building was filled with smoke as firefighters began to deploy hoselines to combat the fire. Fortunately the fire itself was confined to the kitchen, but dense smoke filled the structure. The Red Cross was notified to assist the occupants and damage estimates were placed around $5,000.

• ACCIDENT: The intersection of Pine and Walnut avenues was the scene of a multi-vehicle accident which was reported at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday. Initial reports indicated that some of the occupants may have been trapped in the vehicles and a total of 11 firefighters were sent to the scene. On arrival it was confirmed that one of the occupants of one of the vehicles was indeed unable to get out of the vehicle and firefighters began to setup to use the “Jaws of Life” Due to the damage to the vehicle it was necessary to remove one of the doors in order to safely remove the injured party.

        

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