Rensselaer Falls apartment building destroyed by fire

RENSSELAER FALLS, New York (WWNY) - A St. Lawrence County apartment complex is a total loss after a fire ripped through the building Saturday.

Fire crews were called to 209 Rensselaer St. just after 1:30 pm. Fire officials say the blaze started in a first floor living room. Rensselaer Falls Fire Chief Dallas Denny says flames were shooting out of windows when they arrived on scene.

The building is two stories tall with a basement. Firefighters spent three to four hours getting the blaze under control. There were no injuries and emergency responders were able to save a dog from the fire.

On Sunday, you could see the extensive damage to the building. Part of the wall is slanting in and in danger of caving. That section of Front Street is closed in both directions as a precaution.

Denny says it was one of the biggest fires he has ever dealt with.

“It was hot, and poor visibility. It was cranking. When they blew the door in, all they’ve seen was flames,” said Denny.

The Red Cross says it’s helping three families who lived there. One family is an adult and a 13-year-old child, a second family is two adults, and the third is two adults and five children ages 6, 8, 9, 12, and 17.

The cause is under investigation.

Rensselaer Falls Fire Department was assisted by Heuvelton Fire, Canton Fire, Ogdensburg Fire, DeKalb Fire, Morely Fire, and Lisbon Fire. Chief Denny says there were about 60 to 70 firefighters on scene.

Copyright 2022 WWNY. All rights reserved.