Fire crews battle flames, wind at a home in Rotterdam Junction
ROTTERDAM JUNCTION, NY (WRGB) - "3/4 of the roof has come down in," said Rotterdam Fire Chief Shawn Taylor.
The second floor of an apartment building on Main Street in Rotterdam Junction was on fire for most of the afternoon and into the evening Monday.
Everyone who lives in its four units are safe and accounted for.
One tenant said he was sleeping on the couch when he woke up to banging on the door and the smell of smoke.
Crews worked for the next several hours trying to knock down the flames that the wind refused to let die.
"The wind was just fueling the fire. They had a good handle on it and then as the wind picked up it just started to go again," Taylor said.
Taylor says the age of the building was also a problem.
"This is a 100 year plus house so it's construction didn't really help too much, it's so boxy and built so oddly," he explained.
He says at least 100 firefighters responded.
Two were sent to the hospital with minor issues and are expected to be okay.
Taylor says given the amount of time the fire was active, they made sure crews were given time to rest and recover before returning to action.
"We work in groups, you know, they have to obviously go in for a period of time and then come out to get checked and then when they're cleared they can go back in, so we do a rotation of firemen in and out," said Taylor.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Red Cross is providing help to six people displaced by the fire.
