An investigation is ongoing into a suspicious fire at a vacant house Wednesday morning in Hamilton Hill.
Schenectady firefighters responded to multiple reports of a fire around 11 a.m. at 848 Albany St. The fire started in the attic of the two-story home, Fire Chief Ray Senecal said.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. There were no reported injuries, Senecal said.
The fire is being labeled as suspicious because the Schenectady Fire Department has ruled out accidental causes, according to Assistant Chief Mike Gillespie.
“We’re in the middle of the investigation,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “We don’t have anything definitive yet.”
The building, at Albany and Craig streets, is vacant and owned by the city, Building Inspector Eric Shilling said. He said the building would have to be demolished.
Demolition is expected to be done by Thursday. Senecal said there was no power to the building.
About 22 firefighters battled the blaze and got it under control in a half hour, Senecal said. Two neighboring buildings on either side sustained minimal damage.
The building at 844 Albany St. is vacant, Senecal said. It used to be home to Tru Legends Barber Shop.
The building at 850 Albany St. houses a cab company on the first floor and apartments on the second floor.
Shaye Jeffreys, who lives at 850 Albany St., said she was asleep when the fire started next door.
“I heard all this noise and they were screaming to get out of the house,” Jeffreys said as she stood on Albany Street. “I heard all the fire trucks and my son’s father said to come downstairs.”
She said three other people live in the house. They all got out safely, she said.
“Everyone was sleeping at the time,” she said. “We all came outside and watched the firefighters setup.”
She described the fire as traumatic.
“It was a big fire, it was all blue,” she said. “They had to go into our building. I’m not sure if the fire got in there.”
Jeffreys said she only had time to grab her purse before leaving the building. It is unclear how much water damage the building sustained.
She said the American Red Cross has offered her and the other tenants temporary shelter.
Before the city took ownership of 848 Albany St. it was owned by Marsha Jones, according to property records. It was assessed at $16,900 in 2015.
The building at 850 Albany St. is owned by Shaniqua and William Thompson, according to property records. It was previously owned by the city.
Categories: -News-, Schenectady County
