Syracuse Sun

On May 21, 2024, at 8:00 p.m., Syracuse firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a possible fire in the area of the 500 block of Oakwood Avenue. Firefighters from Station 8 on South Salina Street arrived in just under two-and-a-half minutes. The first arriving companies found heavy smoke in the area, but the source was not immediately clear. Seconds after their arrival, the source of the fire was located.

As additional crews converged on the scene, firefighters reported smoke and flames coming from the second-story windows on three sides of a house at 230 Leon Street. A signal ‘99’ was transmitted, indicating a working fire.

Teams of firefighters from the first arriving units began moving hoses into the house while other teams started methodical searches of the structure. Crews battled high heat, blinding smoke, and spreading flames as they made their way to the second floor where the fire was located. They had to contend with holes in the floor as they moved hoses into place to extinguish multiple rooms involved with fire.

Searches were negative; there was no one in the structure when firefighters arrived. An aggressive interior attack prevented further spread into the second floor and attic. Firefighters had most of the fire knocked down within approximately 10 minutes and declared it out after about 20 minutes.

Due to high temperatures and humidity, additional crews were brought in once the fire was out to assist companies with picking up before returning to service. The second floor of the home suffered fire, smoke, and water damage; the first floor and attic also sustained smoke and water damage. A hole was cut in the roof to ventilate trapped heat and smoke.

Syracuse Fire Investigators were at the scene working to determine the cause of the fire. That investigation is ongoing. The home was vacant at that time. No civilian injuries were reported; however, one firefighter suffered a minor injury during operations. They were evaluated and treated at the scene before being released.

A total of 42 Fire Department personnel responded to this incident, including command and support staff. Syracuse Fire Department Ambulance, Syracuse Police, American Medical Response (AMR), and National Grid also responded to assist at the scene.

"We thank our partners at the 911 Center, SPD, AMR, and National Grid," stated a spokesperson for Syracuse Fire Department.

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