A building that has been leveled after a fire destroyed it Friday in Amsterdam was part of the Buddhist community.
Five to six years ago people in the Buddhist community began buying up properties, said Jeff Urbanczyk, the battalion chief with the city fire department Saturday.
One of the buildings they bought was the one located at 235-237 E. Main St.
On Friday the building was the site of a four-alarm fire.
The fire, which was called in around 11:30 a.m., had already spread to an exterior wall, attic space and top loft by the time fire crews arrived on the scene, said Fire Chief Anthony Agresta Friday.
Conditions prevented an interior response from firefighters initially and worsened by the time additional personnel arrived. The fire departments were able to get the fire under control by 3:30 p.m.
The building was leveled Friday after it was determined to be structurally unsafe.
The building was under construction, Urbanczyk said.
He said a group of people were standing outside the building during the fire but it is unclear whether they were inside when the fire broke out. No injuries were reported though.
He could not recall exactly who owns the building. The building owner is listed as Tri-Halo Construction Inc., according to assessment documents. It has a full market value of $75,000.
Urbanczyk said in past years the building was a multi-use space with both residential and commercial areas.
Tri-Halo Construction could not be reached for comment.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Categories: Fulton Montgomery Schoharie
