Cold winds, hot fires
Tough week for firefighters
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

In top photo, a raging fire on state Route 54 in Kanona destroys a barn owned by D & E Trucking. Above, firefighters tackle a nearby fire that destroyed Sweeney's Meat Market.

Frigid winter temperatures contributed last week to a spate of fires that taxed the resources of area fire departments.

Monday, at least 13 area fire departments responded to two Monday morning fires within view of each other in Kanona. The fires, caused by malfunctioning heating units, destroyed two buildings. No injuries were reported.

Earlier in the day, area firefighters responded to an early morning fire on Freeman Hollow Road in the Town of Bath. The fire damaged the home of Brandon Dickenson and reportedly was caused by a possible crack in the liner of the chimney.

Wednesday, a West Morris Street family lost most of their possessions when a fire broke out inside the wall of their second-floor apartment, reportedly caused by electrical heating units that overtaxed the wiring system.

The biggest of the blazes occurred at about 10:30 a.m. Monday, when Kanona firefighters initially responded to a fire at Sweeney's Meat Market, located on county Route 14 in Kanona.

PHOTOS BY ROB PRICE

The situation quickly became more complicated when an assistant chief for the Bath Volunteer Fire Department realized a second fire had broken out in a barn located on state Route 53, as he was driving to the initial fire to offer mutual aid.

The second fire was burning at D&E Trucking, 7624 state Route 53. Business owner Carlton Crooker of Addison said employees had been warming up a tractor trailer inside the building when they realized a fuel oil furnace had caught fire. They initially tried extinguishing the blazes with a high-pressure washer, but the flames spread too quickly.

"We saw it was going to be futile," said Carlton, "It looked like I was going to lose everything."

As the workers moved equipment from the building, Bath First Assistance Chief Ron Delio started radioing for assistance. "I was on my way to Sweeney's when I saw this fire," Belio said later. "I came around the corner, saw a column of smoke and pulled the car in there. I saw it was a barn fire, and I started calling in mutual aid."

PHOTO PROVIDED Bath firefighters attack a fire that broke out Wednesday at 10 West Morris Street in the village of Bath.

Meanwhile, Kanona firefighters had led the first attack on the fire at Sweeney's Meat Market.

According to Kanona Fire Chief Joe Gerych, firefighters initially entered the building with a hose through the front door and found flames leaping in the vicinity of a furnace and nearby meat smoker. The fire spread quickly to the roof, which eventually collapsed, trapping flames above the ceiling

Hours later, that area was still burning, as firefighters kept a stream of water falling on the collapsed roof.

"The fire's trapped," Gerych said, noting he had pulled firefighters outside the structure early in his response. "It's just not worth getting hurt," he said.

Gerych identified the owner of Sweeney's Meat Market as James Sweeney of Lindley. He said Sweeney purchased the business about 10 to 15 years ago. The building, he added, had housed prior meat processing businesses.

Sweeney could not be reached for comment.

Gerych and Belio noted fire departments responded from the following communities as mutual aid responders: Atlanta, Avoca, Canisteo, Cohocton, Hammondsport, Ho w ard, Prattsburgh, Pulteney, Savona and Wallace. Fire departments from Campbell, Fremont and North Hornell offered standby assistance.

"It was a good case of fire companies offering mutual aid," Gerych said.

The extensive response filled the parking lot at each building with heavy emergency equipment: fire engines, pumpers and portable water pools. State police also were on the scene, and some firefighters remained busy directing raffic along state Route 415, urging vehicle operators to drive by the scene without slowing down. Firefighters also took control of traffic on county Route 14.

While the meat processing plant remained smoking at 4 p.m., firefighters were packing up the bulk of their gear at that scene. The parking lot for D&E Trucking was cleared of fire equipment by about 3:45 p.m.

Two days later, a fire broke out at about 3:13 a.m. at 10 West Morris St. in Bath, filling the apartment of James Woodbridge, Jennifer Smalt and their five-month-old child, Hannah, with smoke.

Village police evacuated the tenants, and no injuries were reported. The Bath Volunteer Ambulance Corps responded to the scene to check the condition of the family.

Firefighters kept the flames from spreading, and the heat damage was confined to the second-floor ceiling and attic space. The clothing and personal possessions of the tenants sustained heavy smoke and water damage, however.

"I woke up at about 2:45 smelling smoke," Woodbridge told The Courier. "I got out of bed, tried to figure out where the smoke was coming from. … By the time I got into my daughter's room, smoke was filling the room. You couldn't see.

"I grabbed my daughter, grabbed what food we could grab of hers, and that was it."

Woodbridge said The American Red Cross provided lodging for the family at an area motel.

Woodbridge said firefighters and village police responded quickly to the emergency. "They were great," he said. "They were right there. They made sure everybody was evacuated, then they just went in."

Several area fire departments provided additional assistance. Conrad cited departments from the Bath VA, Kanona, Savona, Hammondsport and Pulteney as providers of mutual aid. All units were back in service by 5:06 p.m.