For the period of Friday October 10, 2008 to Thursday October 16, 2008 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 117 calls for assistance.
Saturday October 11 – For the third time firefighters found themselves responding to the same vacant home located at 1364 Whitney Avenue. At 3:50 AM units were dispatched for a building fire at the intersection of 13th and Whitney Avenues. Firefighters arrived to once again find heavy fire coming from the 2 story dwelling and began to deploy hoseline to combat the blaze. This build had been the location of at least two other serious fires so firefighters exercised extreme caution and initiated the fire attack from the exterior of the structure. Due to the previous fire damage, there were a number of holes in the walls and floors and the fire had multiple pathways to extend throughout the building. The fire was extinguished without incident and is under investigation by members assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau. The collective damage to the building was extensive and representatives from Building and Inspections ordered the structure demolished.
Saturday October 11 – At 9:30 PM a passerby noticed a vehicle on fire in the 6400 block of Niagara Falls Blvd. Fire units arrived on the scene to find a 1997 Nissan Altima involved in fire and quickly set about the task of extinguishing the blaze. The fire was contained to the vehicle and is currently under investigation.
Tuesday October 14 – Shortly after midnight resident of a home in the 100 block of 62nd street noticed smoke coming from a bedroom of the home. The occupants quickly evacuated and initiated a call to 911 which sent 20 firefighters responding to the blaze. Firefighters arrived to find a well involved fire in a bedroom of the frame dwelling and after accounting for all of the occupants multiple hoselines were deployed to attack the fire. The fire which caused an estimated $4,500 in damage was confined to the bedroom and is believed to have been caused by some type of heat lamp placed too close to combustible material.
Wednesday October 15 – The sound of screeching tires and crunching metal filled the area of 79th and Niagara Falls Blvd when an operator lost control of their vehicle. While the incident did not result in any significant injuries, significant damage did occur to a building that was struck by the vehicle. Inspectors assigned to the Building and Inspections Department were requested to the scene to asses the damage to the building and other nearby structures.
Thursday October 16 – Whitney Avenue was once again the scene of fire activity when an electrical fire broke out in an apartment building shortly before 9 AM. The sound of loud electrical arching and smoke filled the area in the 1700 Block. The early morning rain is believed to have contributed to the situation when water caused a fault in the electrical service to the building. Firefighters were unable to completely extinguish the fire until National Grid was able to cut the power to the home. While the situation certainly looked and sounded serious the actual damage to the home was minimal and the fire was quickly extinguished.
Thursday October 16 - After a period of very little activity in the area of the gorge, firefighters assigned to Platoon 2 found them spending about 2 hours in the gorge looking for a party believed to be injured. Hikers on the Canadian side of the gorge reported to hear screams and cries for help that appeared to be originating on the American side of the river. At 7:21 PM firefighters and Parks Police Officers descended into the gorge and spent the next 2 hours looking for the source of the cries for help. After 2 hours of searching in the dark, no individuals needing assistance were ever located,
The large amounts of leaves that are beginning to fall present some unique hazards. Wet leaves are very slippery and can dramatically increase the amount of stopping distance that your vehicle may require. In addition each year the fire department responds to a number of incidents that are caused by individuals paring their car on top of leaf piles. The catalytic converter on your car operates at temperature approaching 1200 degrees and can very easily ignite the leaves which can result in the vehicle catching on fire.
