Buffalo Firefighters Burned in House Fire

Two Buffalo firefighters suffered burns Saturday afternoon in a house fire on Newton Street, in the shadow of the Central Terminal.

But the two adults and four children who were inside in the two-story home when the fire broke out escaped unharmed.

Battalion Chief Mark Hillery said it was believed the blaze began when one of the children was playing with matches, and a box of clothing caught fire.

None of the smoke detectors in the house was functioning, Hillery said. “Luckily they were alerted by the fire and were able to get out safely.”

The two firefighters were injured while searching for occupants, and were taken to a hospital for treatment. “The conditions deteriorated rapidly and they were burned a little bit, not seriously,” Hillery said.

Hillery said there were “a few frantic moments” when there were conflicting reports about whether children were still inside. “My guys went in there and did an aggressive search and they did not find anybody. During that search, they were burned by the fire.”

The fire caused estimated damage of $70,000 to the structure and $25,000 to the contents. The Red Cross was expected to assist the family, which was renting the property.

email: mglynn@buffnews.com