Firefighters in Ithaca responded to a house fire on the 300 block of Hancock Street on the city’s north side at around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday. According to Ithaca Fire Department Public Information Officer, Lt. Jim Wheal, the fire was located in the walls of the second floor of the two-story house. The fire prompted a Tompkins SIREN alert asking residents to avoid the area.
“Despite the large amount of smoke, it was not immediately apparent where the fire was, so firefighters worked to open up the walls and ceilings to locate the fire and extinguish it,” said Wheal. The house sustained damage but the walls and ceilings are repairable, and fortunately, no residents or firefighters were injured during the fire. Three cats and two bearded dragons were accounted for and safe.
All on-duty firefighters were needed at the scene, so off-duty firefighters were called in to cover additional calls. Newfield Fire also provided an engine crew to stand by in Ithaca, Cayuga Heights and Lansing Fire stood by in their stations for Ithaca in case they were needed. NYSEG, Ithaca Police, and Bangs Ambulance also provided assistance on-scene.
The area has reopened as of 10:30 PM Tuesday, but the cause of the fire is not known at this time and the IFD’s Fire Investigation Unit will work to make a determination.
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