For the period of Friday May 29, 2009 to Thursday June 4, 2009 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 125 calls for assistance.
Saturday May 30 - The strong winds that persisted throughout the day intensified once the sun began to set. The result was a number of incidents involving downed electrical wires and tree limbs. Residents should treat all wires as being potentially energized and should not make attempts to relocate them. Telephone and cable wires can become energized with significant amounts of electricity when they come into contact with primary wires. The wire you see on the street could be in contact with primary wires some distance away. In addition chain link fencing is an excellent conductor of electricity. A wire lying on the fence three or four houses away can potentially charge the entire row of fencing.
Sunday May 31 – An entire assessment for a fire in a high-rise residential structure was dispatched at 8:39 PM on Sunday evening. The structure located in the 700 block of 10th street is home to many older and special needs residents. Firefighters arrived to find an interior hallway charged with smoke and received indications of a fire in a nearby room. Upon gaining access to the room firefighters located a small fire in a trash can which was quickly extinguished. The fire remains under investigation by members of the Fire Prevention Bureau.
Monday June 1 – A muti vehicle accident required the attention of LaSalle firefighters early Monday afternoon. Fire units from both 72nd Street as well as Military Road (Bollier Avenue) responded to this incident in the 8700 block of Niagara Falls Blvd that sent four people to area hospitals. Firefighters arrived and first stabilized the vehicles to prevent and additional movement and survey the scene for any fuel leaks. One it was determined that the area was relatively safe; department medical technicians began treatment of the injuries. None of the injuries was considered life threatening and the roadway was quickly reopened.
Tuesday June 2 - Once again the east side of the city was the location of a late night fire that was incendiary in nature. At 11:12 PM firefighters from the Royal Avenue station responded to a reported outside fire in the 2700 block of Livingston Avenue. On arrival firefighters found a fire that involved a number of cardboard boxes on fire that had extended to a nearby garage. The fire was quickly extinguished but not before it caused an estimated $500 dollars in damage to the garage. This fire is also under investigation by members of the Fire Prevention Bureau.
Wednesday June 3 – Sirens shattered the suppertime air as firefighters from all of the city stations responded to a residential fire in the 4600 block of Hyde Park Blvd. On arrival firefighters were confronted with a well involved fire in an end unit of the apartment complex. Members of the engine company deployed hoselines and entered the front of the building while members assigned to the ladder company started a primary search. Once inside firefighters encountered zero visibility conditions and excessive heat levels. Both teams of firefighters pushed through the heat and smoke making their way to the main area of the fire. They found a living room fully involved in fire and quickly located a fire victim. The victim was removed from the rear of the structure where other firefighters initiated resuscitative efforts. Firefighters inside the building continued to combat the fire and continued their search of the upstairs area for any other residents who may have been trapped. The female victim was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. Fire Investigators spent several hours combing through the remnants of the living room in an attempt to determine both a point of origin and a cause of the fire. It was determined that the smoke alarms in the structure were operational and that the fire originated in a couch in the living room. Investigators have ruled out any signs of arson and believe that the fire was caused by smoking material.
