Fire rips through apartments
SLINGERLANDS – Firefighters extinguished a fast-moving fire on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in a block of eight units at the Bethlehem Terrace Apartments on Blessing Road before it could spread to sixteen additional attached units.
It could have been much worse.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the middle section of the building.
“The smoke was coming from the second floor, and the initial team went in to find the source and called for additional support,” North Bethlehem Fire Chief Cameron Becker said. He then called for more departments to respond from Guilderland and Bethlehem. Becker said the fire was contained to one apartment on the second floor, with the intact windows helping to prevent the fire from spreading.
Short Video from the scene of the fire.
“Because the windows were not broken, it helped us keep it contained,” Becker explained.
At that point, all residents had safely evacuated, and the flames did not spread into the walls or ceiling.
“Due to the age of the building, it is my understanding that it does not have firewalls between sections,” Becker added. “If the fire had reached above the ceiling, it could have spread to all the other blocks.”
Firewalls, usually concrete barriers that extend from the basement to the roofline, are part of building codes for new structures.
In this case, only one apartment suffered fire damage, while another on the second floor sustained heavy smoke damage. The first-floor apartments had water damage from efforts to extinguish the fire above.
“North Bethlehem crews made a good stop on the fire and kept it from reaching the cockloft under the roof,” Slingerlands Fire Chief Craig Sleurs said. “Because of that, the fire damage was limited to one apartment, with three others having smoke and water damage.”
A resident who lives in the A-block of the building told Spotlight News that his second-floor apartment sustained no smoke or water damage.
“It was a kaotic scene with all the trucks, we were really scared the fire was coming our way,” he said. “The fire departments were really great. From all of us we say thanks.”
According to the complex’s management the next morning, the apartments sustained damage but could be repaired, and tenants were provided temporary housing. Management stated that affected residents would be offered other apartments within the complex in the coming days.
The building that caught fire, 7 Eastmount Drive, stretches along Blessing Road just above the Route 85 roundabout and is divided into three blocks of units. The fire broke out in the middle block.
The fire was reported at 6:05 p.m., and fire departments from North Bethlehem, Guilderland, McKownville, Slingerlands, Westmere, and Delmar responded. Fort Hunter also responded as the FAST team for potential firefighter rescues.
Becker noted that Bethlehem police were handling the fire investigation. Bethlehem Deputy Chief James Rexford said that, while the investigation was ongoing, the fire did not appear suspicious.
