Rensselaer, NY -- A city firefighter, who makes his living keeping the community safe, lost his own home Friday in a fire.
The fire broke out at the empty home just after noon at 925 Second St. and quickly spread to neighboring 923 Second St. Though an investigation was underway Friday evening, there was no definitive answer as to how the fire started.
Officials believe the fire started in the basement, perhaps due to a furnace malfunction.
The firefighter, whose name was not released, had recently renovated the house and it is believed that might have contributed to the blaze spreading quickly.
"It was all in the walls. There was interior construction through the course of the years," said Fire Chief Jim Van Vorst.
"They put all new walls in, and there's a six-inch space in between the walls going right on up. And the fire traveled right from the basement to the attic."
Second Street was blocked off to traffic as firefighters extinquished the blaze
