Otisco, NY – A rural home in Otisco was destroyed by a fire Sunday that is still smoldering 24 hours later, fire officials said.
Just before 2 p.m. Sunday, firefighters were called to a home on a back road at 2583 Sherman Road in Otisco, Amber Fire Chief Chris Muncy said. Firefighters arrived to find the house fully engulfed, fire coming from all the windows and shooting through the roof.
By the time firefighters were able to establish a water supply, much of the structure had already collapsed, forcing crews to fight the fire from the outside, Muncy said.
“It had a very good lead,” he said. “Within four or five minutes of the call it was fully engaged.
Neighbors initially noticed smoke coming from the property, but thought it might have been related to outdoor fires that the homeowner often started, Muncy said. As the smoke got thicker and thicker, people called 911.
Firefighters faced problems accessing water due to the home’s rural location, which required crews to haul water. It took about 30 minutes to establish a reliable water supply and about an hour and a half to put out most of the fire, Muncy said.
The house was a total loss. The structure collapsed into the basement, leaving no frame left, according to Muncy.
Since there were no homes or exposures nearby and the snow-covered ground reduced the risk of the fire spreading, crews decided to let the remaining fire burn out rather than risk injury to firefighters by digging into the collapsed debris, Muncy said.
“The safest option was to let it burn,” he said. “It’s not going anywhere.”
On Monday, the fire continued to smolder in the basement. Firefighters and a former firefighter who lives nearby were monitoring the scene, Muncy said.
No one was in the house at the time of the fire and no one was injured.
10 to 12 firefighting units responded to the scene. Highway departments from the towns of Marcellus and Tully helped keep roads plowed and treated so tanker trucks could safely reach the fire, Muncy said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Onondaga County Fire Investigation Unit is working with state police, Muncy said.
Troopers asked anyone with information about the fire to contact them at (315) 366-6000 and quote case number NY2600028574.
Leave a Reply