Fire Heavily Damages NW Jamestown Home Sat PM

Jamestown (Csi)–  A house in Northwest Jamestown was destroyed by fire Saturday evening.  City Fire Chief Jim Reuther says the call came in about 6:30-p.m., to a single family structure at 1409 3rd Avenue, Northwest.

He says the home was unoccupied at the time of the fire.  When the seven units and 32 city fire fighters arrived on the scene, flames and smoke were coming from the house.

He says two fire fighters entered the structure, to find the “seat” of the fire but were surrounded by the fire, and a “May Day,” was called and the two were able to safely exit the burning structure.

Reuther says at that point fire fighters went into a defensive mode and cut holes in each side of the house, and the floor which led to a crawl space, where foam was sprayed onto the burning structural members.

The fire is believed to have started in the crawl space beneath the home, although the structure was unsafe to make an immediate determination.

Reuther said the Buffalo Valley Red Cross and Jamestown Salvation Army were on scene and set up in  a nearby garage provide by a neighbor, from which hot coffee and soup were provided to the fire fighters battling the blaze in dangerous sub-zero temperatures and wind chills.

The family is staying with relatives.  No injuries were reported, with fire fighters spending a consider length of time on the scene, estimated at about four hours.

Sunday morning the JFD was again called out to the address for possible smoke or steam coming from the basement.  CSi Photos Jan 5, 2014 Roy Sheppard.  Jan 4 photos submitted by Matthew Kriedeman.