HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) — Five people, including two firefighters, were taken to the hospital after an early morning ripped through a home on Rosedale Avenue.
The fire started around 2:30 a.m. in the garage and spread to the rest of the home, where a family of five was sleeping at the time. As the fire spread, a woman and her two children jumped out of a second story window to escape. A man and another child were able to safely exit the home.
The three people who jumped out the window were taken to ECMC for evaluation and two firefighters were taken to Mercy hospital for medical issues.
The house is considered a total loss.
Hamburg Volunteer Fire Chief Jared Sterner says it took crews from twenty departments in the towns of Hamburg, Orchard Park, Boston, Eden, and Evans two hours to get the fire under control. “With the humidity and everything, the firefighters were becoming overwhelmed. We’re trying to refresh them and rehab, and whatnot,” he said.
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Chief Sterner says the first crews on scene found two cars engulfed in flames, but investigators are still working to determine how the fire started.
“When we first arrived, we had heavy fire. It was high as the trees and it was actually going toward the house next door, so we were worried about exposure problems,” Sterner said. “The cars were on fire so we were hearing explosions. There were car tires blowing up; there were propane tanks that were set off.”
“It was just loud and we had a lot of smoke and heat,” he added.
Chief Sterner told News 4 there was a fire hydrant near the house that was not working, so firefighters had to use another one. “So that took up a bit of time,” he said. “We were able to get sufficient water, but the fire was going well before we got there.”
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The Erie County Sheriff’s Office and Village of Hamburg Police are investigating.
