Syracuse, NY- On Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 10:59 p.m., Syracuse Firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 center to a reported structure fire at 2017 South Avenue. Firefighters from Station 3, On Bellevue Ave., arrived on the scene moments later. The first due companies reported that the entire front of the building was engulfed in flames on arrival. Heavy fire was consuming the front of the first and second floors, spreading into the attic and deeper into the structure. The intense heat from the flames had caused power lines going to the house to burn away, resulting in live wires arcing and sparking in the front yard. There were initial reports of a person trapped. A signal ‘99’ was transmitted, and firefighters mounted an aggressive interior attack on the fire.
The first arriving crews stretched a hose toward the building and briefly washed down the front, providing them a path to rear and the inside of the structure. Additional hose lines were stretched by incoming fire companies, and teams of firefighters began searches of the structure. Crews moving to the second floor, where the victim was reported to be located, encountered blistering heat and zero visibility. Firefighters attempted to push into the second-floor apartment to search but were beaten back by the extreme conditions. Eventually, firefighters were able to move farther into the second-floor apartment, and search teams located an unconscious victim. Rescuers moved the victim to the outside of the house, where they were immediately handed off to a waiting ambulance crew. Patient care was initiated at the scene and the victim was transported to a local hospital where they were later pronounced dead.
Crews inside continued to work, extinguishing a large volume fire on the second floor and in the attic. Firefighters shifted to an overhaul operation and continued to chase hotspots and check for fire spread. Additional fire companies were brought into the scene to assist with the operation. The fire was declared out after approximately 80 minutes, and firefighters remained on scene for several hours.
The home sustained heavy fire damage to the first and second floors, as well as the attic. All floors also sustained smoke and water damage. Syracuse Fire Investigators were at the scene conducting an investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. That investigation is active and ongoing. One firefighter was injured during firefighting operations, while working inside the structure. They were treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital for further treatment and later released. A total of 52 Fire Department personnel responded to this incident, including command and support staff. Syracuse Fire Department Ambulance, Syracuse Police, American Medical Response, National Grid, and the American Red Cross also responded to the scene.
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