Lansing Street blaze displaces several Schenectady families

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Lombardo

A fire on Lansing Street left occupants of the three-story multi-residence home in search of other shelter Saturday night.

Firefighters from the city responded to calls about a fire at 642-644 Lansing just before 4:30 p.m.. They arrived to find heavy fire in the rear of the building on the second and third floors.

Deputy Chief Kurt Gerfin said that crews went into the building and determined that there were no people inside. About 15 minutes later they had put out a majority of the fire and in an hour the fire was contained. Crews took out some windows and walls and cut a hole in the roof for venting.

The fire caused heavy fire damage to the second and third floors, with smoke and water damage throughout the building. Gerfin said the house could be salvaged, but it was uninhabitable Saturday night.

Sevonia Knight, who lives in the first floor with her fiance and 18-year-old daughter, said she was alerted to the fire by neighborhood girls who knocked on her door. Knight was watching a movie with her daughter.

“We just got out of the house,” Knight said. “I was scared. I was hysterical.” Knight said that a friend had offered her and her family a place to stay for the night.

One firefighter burned his hand putting out the fire.