Shortly after 12:00 P.M. on Presidents Day the Pine Hill Fire District in Cheektowaga , NY (a suburb of Buffalo) was alerted to a house fire at 62 Andrews Ave.
First arriving chief officers found a well advanced fire in the rear of a 2.5 story occupied dwelling. Automatic mutual aide alerted additonal companies to the scene for suppression and a F.A.S.T. company.
After an aggressive initial interior attack, crews were removed due to low water pressure. The fire was now progressing rapidly throughout the structure and a defensive mode was set in place.
Additional mutual aid companies were requested to work and cover empty halls as a water supply was established from distant larger main hydrants.
Although the exposures were approximately 20 feet away, exposure 4 sufferred substantial exterior damage after the rear portion of the structure collapsed sending the buring side wall towards the house melting the vinyl siding.
A secure water supply was established, enabling crews to knock down the fire and keeping it from extending any further. The fire was placed under control around 14:00 hours.
After several rigs were removed from the scene, the Cleveland Hill Fire Company brought in their aerial ladder to overhaul the structure. A Town Hi-Lift was brought in to knock down the remaining walls of the structure.
Crews were on scene into the early evening wetting down hot spots.
The Salvation Army Emergency Canteen Unit ( from Buffalo ) was called in to provide hot refreshments and dry gloves to warm up the battle-weary firefighters who fought the blaze with temperatures in the low single digits.
Fire companies on the scene included: Pine Hill, Cleveland Hill, Rescue, U-Crest and Hi-View Fire Districts, the Snyder Fire Company (from Amherst, NY) as a F.A.S.T. unit. Doyle, South Line and Bellevue Fire Districts responded to the scene as relief crews. The Depew, Sloan and Forks Fire Companies covered empty fire districts.
The fire was caused by the occupants who were trying to thaw frozen pipes in the rear of the house.
