Crews battle temperature along with apartment fire
Halfmoon, NY >> A fast moving fire Sunday at the Twin Lakes Apartments in Halfmoon caused major damage to one building containing 12 apartments but no loss of life according to officials at the scene and emergency radio transmission.
Clifton Park Fire Department Deputy Chief Russ Coonradt said the first call of the fire came in to the sta-tionat 1:19 p.m. March 12.
He confirmed reports that a Saratoga County Sheriff’s Deputy was the first to arrive at the apartment complex on Sitterly Road and saw heavy fire coming from the roof of the building. The deputy then worked to make sure everyone was evacuated from the building.
As the first apparatus from the seven fire departments that were called to the scene arrived, crews immediately went to work searching apartment units 53, 54 and 55 as heavy fire began to spread through the structures. The three units contained 12 apartments.
Once fire department personnel made sure everyone was out of all the units, they immediately began attempting an aggressive interior attack on the fire. However, the building was engulfed in flames.
Heavy winds fed the fire allowing it to spread rapidly through the building. Due to the speed of the spreading fire, command ordered all firefighters to exit the structure as heavy fire conditions spread causing the roof of at least one unit to collapse into the apartments below.
In temperatures of 25 degrees firefighters then mounted a master stream operation to try to knock down the bulk of the fire.
According to reports 75 firefighters worked to contain the fire.
Coonradt said it took about an hour for the firefighters to put out the flames. He believes four apartments will eventually be declared a total loss, two have some damage and the rest were saved due to a fire wall in the building. He did not know how many people were evacuated by the fire.
He confirmed a report that stated no firefighters were injured and all residents who were home at the time were able to make it out safely. Occupants of all 12 apartments were ordered out of the building for the night by Halfmoon Code Enforcement. Coonradt believes the occupants of the four undamaged apartments were allowed back in Monday.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Fire departments called to the scene include Clifton Park, West Crescent, Halfmoon-Waterford, Jonesville, Vischer Ferry, Boght and Round Lake Fire Department.