For the period of Friday January 2, 2009 to Thursday January 8, 2009 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 110 calls for assistance.
Friday January 2 – Friday afternoon fire units responded to a reported fire in the 1700 block of Ferry Avenue. At 1:30 fire units arrived and found a smoke condition in the structure. Further investigation determined that an office machine had caught on fire and was producing smoke. Two occupants of the building were exposed to the smoke and complained some difficulty breathing. The fire is considered accidental and caused some smoke damage in the building.
Monday January 5 – The winter weather continues to cause havoc on the older housing stock in the city. At 1:43 AM firefighters from the Royal Avenue station responded to a home in the 2300 block of Orleans Avenue. On arrival they discovered an electrical problem involving a ground wire from the fuse box. National Grid was requested to respond to the scene to secure the power. Damage from the incident was minimal.
Monday January 5- At 3:51 AM fire fighters from the LaSalle area stations were alerted to respond to a report of a vehicle which had struck a building in the 8300 block of Niagara Falls Blvd. The occupants of the vehicle did not suffer any injuries and damage to the building did not involve structural elements. The occupant of the vehicle was arrested by the NFPD for allegedly driving while intoxicated.
Wednesday January 7 – Shortly after 6 PM fire units were dispatched to a reported fire in a residence in the 1000 block of 85th Street. Additional information indicated that smoke was coming from one of bedrooms of the home. On investigation firefighters found a small fire in a closet that was apparently started when clothing stored in the closet came in contact with a light bulb that had been on for an extended time. Damage from the accidental fire was less then $100.
Numerous fire hydrants in the city are becoming blocked by the snow that is piling up on city streets. Please remember to keep the hydrants in your neighborhood clear of snow. In addition temperatures next week are expected to be in the single digits. Residents must use great care if they use alternative heating sources. A recent tragedy occurred in Pennsylvania when it is believed that gasoline was inadvertently placed into a kerosene heater. The resulting fire left a total of eight people dead.
