STAMFORD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
Chief: A.J. Vamosy
Personnel: 60 volunteer firefighters
Stations: 1
Apparatus: 2 pumpers, 1 aerial (quint), 1 tanker, 1 brush truck, 1 heavy rescue, 2 ALS units
Population: 2,800
Area: 36 square miles
On Tuesday, March 25, 2014, a six-alarm fire destroyed the 115-year-old former Rexmere Hotel in Stamford, NY. Due to the size of the structure and the heavy volume of fire, command requested numerous additional water supplies to ensure a continual large flow. Three hundred firefighters from 23 volunteer fire departments and one career department responded to the scene. To set up for drafting operations from a nearby lake, firefighters needed chainsaws to cut through 10 inches of ice. A major collapse occurred about 40 minutes into the incident.
The seven-story, wood-frame, balloon-type-construction hotel was built in 1897 of spruce and hemlock and opened for business in July 1898. The roof was covered with rolled asphalt and shingles. The structure contained 70,000 square feet of floor space. At the time of the fire, the building was owned by the Catskill Mountain Education Center and contained Simplex Fire and Country Home Security intrusion monitored alarm systems. The building was occupied by the caretakers on the first floor and was in the process of being sold to an artist from New York City.
Automatic alarm triggered
The Stamford Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 10:40 A.M. to a reported automatic fire alarm at the former Rexmere Hotel at 159 West Main St. Engine 2713, a 1,250-gpm pumper; Ladder 2711, a 75-foot quint with a 1,250-gpm pump; and Heavy Rescue 2761 responded with 15 firefighters under the command of First Assistant Fire Chief Don VanEtten.
Engine 2713 arrived on scene at 10:44 and was positioned at the C/D corner and found nothing showing from the exterior. Ladder 2711 was placed at the A/B corner and Heavy Rescue 2761 was positioned at the end of the driveway on side D.
Upon further investigation of the interior, firefighters found moderate smoke conditions on the first floor. Water supplies were established for Engine 2713 and Ladder 2711. Each unit was supplied with a 300-foot, four-inch line from hydrants on the same 10-inch water main.
Initial operations
Firefighters determined that the fire was already burning on multiple floors and that it was too dangerous to attempt an interior attack due to the fact that fire was breaking through the exterior walls on multiple floors. A 200-foot, 2 ½-inch attack line was stretched from Engine 2713 and placed into operation on side D. Engine 2713’s deck gun was placed into operation on the C/D corner, where the fire initially broke through, and Ladder 2711’s aerial master stream operated on the A/D corner.
VanEtten requested mutual aid within five minutes of arrival on scene. Responding were Grand Gorge Volunteer Fire Department Engine 1511, a 1,250-gpm pumper, Tanker 1551, a 2,000-gallon tanker and Ambulance 1562; Hobart Volunteer Fire Department Engine 1812, a 1,250-gpm pumper, Engine 1811, a 750-gpm pumper, Tanker 1851, a 3,000-gallon tanker and Ambulance 1862; and Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department Engine 1023, a 1,250-gpm pumper, and Tanker 1061, a 3,200-gallon tanker.
Lake drafting
Due to the size of the structure and the amount of fire, incident commanders knew they would need additional water supplies capable of supplying large, continuous amounts of water. Drafting from the lake would be the quickest way of supplying additional water while a tanker shuttle was being established.
Hobart Engines 1811 and 1812 each laid 500 feet of four-inch hose from the scene to Rexmere Lake and set up for drafting operations. Ice thickness of 10 inches hindered initial drafting operations. Firefighters used chainsaws to cut through the ice, cutting smaller than normal blocks to help with removal of the ice to open the hole. Due to the thickness of the ice, it took approximately 10 minutes to establish each draft point, at which time 30 feet of six-inch hard suction was connected to each pumper to draft through.
Collapse zone established
VanEtten established a collapse zone at 10:55 A.M., as all seven stories of the hotel were now fully involved. The collapse zone was determined to be the size of the entire structure and all operations and apparatus were moved outside the collapse zone. The Roxbury Volunteer Fire Department was requested to the scene and responded with Engine 2311, a 1,250-gpm pumper.
At 11:08 A.M., VanEtten requested mutual aid aerials from Cobleskill, Delhi, Margaretville and Oneonta. Delaware County dispatch advised VanEtten that the only aerial available was Oneonta’s, as the other three were out of service. The Oneonta Fire Department responded with Ladder 1641, a 95-foot tower ladder. VanEtten also requested aerial apparatus from Middleburgh, Sidney and Walton. While still enroute to the scene, Stamford Fire Chief A.J. Vamosy requested the Catskill ladder tower to respond to the scene.
The Middleburgh Volunteer Fire Department responded with Ladder 1281, a 75-foot aerial ladder with a 1,250-gpm pump; the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department responded with Tower Ladder 2481, a 100-foot aerial platform; the Walton Volunteer Fire Department responded with Ladder 3081, a 100-foot aerial ladder; and the Catskill Volunteer Fire Department responded with Ladder T3-15, a 95-foot tower ladder with a 1,500-gpm pump. The Bloomville Volunteer Fire Department was requested at 11:18 A.M. and responded with Engine 411, a 1,250-gpm pumper.
Building collapse
Building collapse occurred at about 11:20 A.M., with the elevator and elevator shaft imploding in the first third of the A/D portion of the building. This in turn pulled the rest of the building in on itself, containing 90% of the structure in its own footprint.
Hobart Engine 1812, which was drafting at the lake, was taken out of service due to mechanical pump issues at 11:35 A.M. and was replaced by Bloomville Engine 411. Jefferson Engine 1023was positioned at the center of the A side in the middle of the front lawn and connected to the supply line from Bloomville Engine 411, positioned on Rexmere Lake. Firefighters deployed two 200-foot, 2½-inch pre-connected attack lines on the A side of the building from Jefferson Engine 1023. Roxbury 2311 was positioned on the A side of the building and was supplied from Bloomville Engine 411, relayed through Jefferson Engine 1023 and deployed a master stream deck gun and one, two and one half inch pre-connected attack line.
Ongoing operations
After the structural collapse, Stamford Ladder 2711 was relocated to side D to allow access for other aerial apparatus. This ladder continued to be supplied by the original hydrant. Stamford Engine 2712 a 1,250-gpm pumper, and Tanker 2751, a 2,000-gallon tanker, arrived on scene at 11:30 A.M. Stamford Engine 2712 reverse laid 500 feet of five-inch supply line from Oneonta Ladder 1641 to Rexmere Lake and set up another drafting point using 30 feet of six-inch hard suction. Stamford Tanker 2751was staged at West Main Street and Holley Tree Lane while a tanker shuttle was organized.
At 11:45, Vamosy requested all available tankers, airpacks and airpack personnel from Delaware County to be dispatched to the scene. Middleburgh Ladder 1281was positioned at the A/D corner and supplied with a four-inch line from Jefferson Engine 1023 until the apparatus experienced electrical failure to its ladder. Middleburgh Ladder 1281 was taken out of service and Jefferson Engine 1023’s supply line was diverted to Sidney Tower 2481.
Walton Ladder 3081 was positioned on the B/C corner and supplied by Grand Gorge Engine 1511 drafting from four portable ponds using jet siphons. The portable ponds were supplied by the tanker shuttle. Catskill Ladder T3-15 was positioned at the C/D corner and supplied by Hobart Engine 1811 drafting from Rexmere Lake. Sidney Ladder 2481 was positioned on the A side and supplied by Bloomville Engine 412. Oneonta Tower Ladder 1641 was positioned on the A/B corner and supplied by Stamford Engine 2712.
Additional mutual aid
Additional requests for mutual aid were made as resources were needed. Responding units included Arkville Volunteer Fire Department Tanker 351, a 1,500-gallon tanker; Bloomville Volunteer Fire Department Engine 412, a 1,250-gpm pumper, and Tanker 451, a 1,500-gallon tanker; Davenport Volunteer Fire Department Engine 711, a 1,000-gpm pumper, and Tanker 751, a 2,000-gallon tanker; Delhi Volunteer Fire Department Tanker 851, a 3,000-gallon tanker; Fleischmanns Volunteer Fire Department manpower and airpacks; a Franklin Volunteer Fire Department rapid intervention team and Engine 1412, a 1,250-gpm pumper; the Halcottsville Volunteer Fire Department for standby; Masonville Volunteer Fire Department manpower; Meridale Volunteer Fire Department Tanker 2151, a 2,000-gallon tanker; Oneonta Fire Department Engine 1612, a 1750-gpm pumper; Pindars Corners Volunteer Fire Department Engine 2211, a 1,250-gpm pumper, and Tanker 2251, a 2,000-gallon tanker; Richmondville Volunteer Fire Department Tanker 1341, a 2,500-gallon tanker; Roxbury Volunteer Fire Department Engine 2311, a 1,250-gpm pumper, and Tanker 2351, a 2,000-gallon tanker; Schenevus Volunteer Fire Department Tanker 1821, a 2,000-gallon tanker; Sidney Center Volunteer Fire Department manpower and airpacks; Summit Volunteer Fire Department Tanker 1641, a 2,000-gallon tanker; and a Worcester Volunteer Fire Department rapid intervention team. Responding ambulance crews included Stamford, Hobart, Grand Gorge and two units from Cooperstown Medical Transport.
Tanker shuttle operations
A total of 19 tankers comprised the tanker shuttle, which sustained a 1,250-gpm water supply to Walton Ladder 3081. The tanker fill site was approximately one mile from the fire scene and located at the hydrant on Main Street in front of the Stamford fire station. This hydrant was selected because it was the closest hydrant on a different 12-inch water main from the hydrants in use on the fire scene, thereby not affecting fireground operations.
Fire police from Stamford along with the Village of Stamford Department of Public Works and Stamford Central School crossing guards provided traffic and crowd control to facilitate the safe and efficient tanker shuttle operations, using multi-agency interoperable radio communications. The coordination of these people allowed tankers to be continuously staged at the scene to unload into one of the four portable 2,000-gallon ponds that were set up.
Grand Gorge Engine 1511 used three 1½-inch handlines to jet siphon three of the ponds into one pond where they drafted with six-inch hard suction. This engine supplied a 100-foot, five-inch line to Walton Ladder 3081. The water supply to Walton Ladder 3081 was coordinated and managed by Oneonta Firefighter Ron Wamsley. Due to the building collapsing on itself, two large excavators were brought to the scene to remove the collapsed building to allow fire suppression.
Vamosy declared the fire under control at 3 P.M. and mutual aid departments began being released. The last Stamford equipment left the scene at midnight.
Conclusion
Three hundred firefighters from 23 volunteer fire departments and one career department responded to the scene. Firefighters operating under a unified command of Vamosy, VanEtten, Stamford Second Assistant Chief Joe Hornbeck and Delaware County Fire Coordinator Steve Hood operated 10 engines, six aerials and 19 tankers at the scene.
Command was assisted by Delaware County Fire Coordinator Dale Downin and Delaware County EMS Coordinator Margaret Wilson as well as fire coordinators from Schoharie County. Dispatch operations for Delaware County consisted of two fire dispatchers and a law enforcement dispatcher who helped with the fire dispatch operations. Over six million gallons of water was used to extinguish the fire.
The Stamford Fire Department responded to two rekindles. Due to a well-organized fireground command through the incident command structure there were no firefighter or civilian injuries. Weather conditions at the time of the fire were overcast with temperatures in the mid-30s and a light breeze.
Investigation
Delaware County and New York State fire investigators were called to the scene along with insurance company investigators to help determine the cause of the fire. The fire has not been labeled suspicious, but no cause has been determined at this time and the fire is still under investigation. Damage was estimated at $600,000 to the building and $100,000 to the contents.
HOTEL HISTORY
The Rexmere Hotel, designed and built in a Second Empire Revival style by Dr. Stephen Churchill, operated as a public hotel until 1955 and was considered one of the grandest hotels in the Catskills, a mountain resort in New York State.
The 150-room hotel, costing $75,000, was the largest in Stamford and could accommodate 400 guests. It was one of the finest hotels of the era, with fine cuisine, a private golf course, elaborate galas, marching band and parades. Beauty pageants and swimming demonstrations brought thousands of well-to-do patrons to the hotel each summer. It featured the first passenger elevator outside of New York City.
After the hotel closed in 1955, the Redemptorist Order of priests used the building as a summer retreat until 1965, when it was converted to an education center.
—Jay K. Bradish
