9 displaced by Great Bend fire

GREAT BEND, New York (WWNY) - A fire at an apartment building near Great Bend displaced nine people and shut down part of State Route 3 Thursday night.

The call came in around 7:45 p.m.

Great Bend Fire Chief Mark Pomerville said all nine people were treated for smoke inhalation. One was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

While the fire was contained to a second floor unit, Pomerville said much of the building has smoke and water damage. It is likely a total loss.

“Downstairs has water damage, upstairs has extensive fire damage,” he said. “It’s quite extensive, maybe a total loss.”

Pomerville said fire investigators could not determine a cause but said it appears unintentional and started in a second-floor kitchen.

The Great Bend, Black River, Felts Mills, Deferiet, Carthage, West Carthage, Evans Mills, and Fort Drum fire departments all responded.

Route 3 was shut down between State Route 26 and Jackson II Road. It reopened around 11:15 p.m.

We were told many of the people displaced were Fort Drum soldiers.

The American Red Cross says it is helping six active-duty military who lived there.

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