Fire ripped through the attic crawl space of a Helderberg Avenue house Tuesday afternoon, slightly injuring one woman and leaving a family of seven people homeless.
Schenectady County Fire Coordinator John Nuzback said that the fire was first reported just before 2 p.m., when Rotterdam dispatchers received numerous 911 calls indicating people trapped in a burning residence.
Crews from the Carman Volunteer Fire Department arrived to find flames shooting from the roof vents of the two-story brick house at 1924 Helderberg Ave.
“The fire appears to have started in the attic area,” he said at the scene.
Nuzback said all of the home’s seven residents — including four young children — were able to flee the burning building before fire crews arrived. He said the woman sustained a minor cut during the fire but refused medical attention.
Firefighters later rescued a pair of pet rabbits and a bird from the house.
Crews were able to get the blaze under control in about 10 minutes but battled stubborn hot spots in the roof for nearly an hour.
Fire police shut down Helderberg Avenue from the Curry Road intersection to Priscilla Lane, about a quarter-mile.
Nuzback said that the family would not be able to return to the house, which sustained significant smoke and water damage on the second floor. He said the family had indicated they might stay with a local relative, but the Red Cross was contacted just in case.
Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire. Nuzback said the home was equipped with fire alarms, but he was unsure if they were functioning.
“They were in there, but they didn’t hear them go off,” he said.
The identity of the family was not released.
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