Two Firefighters Injured, Transported to Hospital Following Niven St.

Two Firefighters Injured, Transported to Hospital Following Niven St.

Published on August 28, 2024

Syracuse, NY- On Monday, August 26, 2024, at 11:38 a.m., Syracuse Firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a reported possible fire at 112 Niven Street on the City's East Side. A Deputy Chief who happened to be passing by the area when the alarm went out was the first on the scene and reported a two-and-a-half-story home with heavy smoke showing from the rear. A signal '99' was declared as firefighters from Station 10, on E. Genesee St., arrived at the scene.

The first crews of firefighters at the scene began to stretch hoses into the structure and prepared to perform searches of the building, looking for any trapped occupants. As additional units arrived, more hoses were stretched, and additional search teams went to work. A separate team of firefighters scaled ladders to the roof of the structure to cut a ventilation hole. As firefighters reached the second floor, they encountered blinding smoke and blistering heat. Firefighters were able to get water on the fire on the second floor, but the fire was burning up exterior siding and spreading to the attic. Firefighters utilized hose lines from outside the home to stop the exterior spread, while crews inside moved lines to the attic to stop the interior spread. The main body of the fire was knocked down after approximately 20 minutes. All searches of the structure were negative. Crews confirmed that all occupants had safely escaped before the Fire Department's arrival.

The rear part of the second-floor apartment suffered heavy fire, smoke, and water damage. A portion of the rear porch roof was destroyed. The attic also suffered fire, smoke, and water damage, as did the home's exterior. The fire was declared out after approximately 50 minutes, but crews remained on the scene for several hours, cleaning up and assisting with the investigation. Syracuse Fire Investigators were at the scene working to determine the origin and cause of the fire. That investigation is ongoing. Four occupants were displaced by this fire; the Red Cross is assisting them.

Two firefighters were injured during the operation. One firefighter, a member of one of the first crews to arrive, was evaluated at the scene for exhaustion-related symptoms. That firefighter was transported to a local hospital for further treatment and is expected to be released later today. A second firefighter suffered burns to the legs during the initial fire attack. That firefighter was also treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital for further treatment. Their condition is reported to be stable, with non-life-threatening injuries at the time of this release. No injuries were reported to civilians at the scene.

A total of 41 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.

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