Archive: News

A two-family home at 403 Auburn Road between Buck and East Lansing Roads was severely damaged by fire January 30th.  12 emergency vehicles arrived at the scene and had the fire under control within 45 minutes, but not before much of the south half of the house was burned out.  Lansing Fire Chief Scott Purcell says the fire may have been caused by an electrical problem in a light fixture.  He says with high winds the fire quickly spread to the roof.  No one was injured.

A couple with a child were living in the southern part of the house and their parents in the north part.  The parents discovered smoke on the ground floor and called 911.  Purcell says the first truck  arrived almost immediately.  About 20 Lansing fire fighters responded to the call with 5 large trucks, the chief's vehicle and a pickup truck coming from Lansing, one tanker each from the Freeville, Locke, Genoa, Groton and Dryden Fire Departments and personnel from Freeville and Groton.  Tompkins County Deputy Sheriffs were also on the scene.

"The parents were home and they saw smoke in the south side of the house," Purcell says.  "We had people here, so we got a truck right out.  It's an older style house, too."


The north side of the house was not burned, but sustained smoke damage, particularly on the ground floor.  Purcell says the house may is repairable.

Responders arrived at 3pm.  The fire took about a half hour to 45 minutes to control, and Purcell says responders remained on the scene for about two and a half hours, during which that section of Auburn Road was closed.  The family is being housed at a hotel.

"We were lucky with the timing," Purcell says.  "It was twenty-something degrees out compared to the minus ten it had been."

v10i5