NY Chief with Extinguishers Helps Contain Residential Fire

CICERO, NY—Cicero Fire Chief George Barrett ran into a burning home this afternoon armed only with a handheld fire extinguisher.

Barrett was the first on the scene of a kitchen fire at 6263 Addison Loomis in The Pastures neighborhood in Cicero. He arrived within one or two minutes after a neighbor called 9-1-1 at 1:14 p.m. to report the fire.

The homeowners were away, but firefighters were told an elderly woman might’ve been home and trapped inside.

Barrett unloaded one extinguisher. He was greeted by intense heat, heavy smoke and fire in the kitchen. An Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputy waiting outside gave him two more extinguishers.

Barrett said the thick, black smoke was banked down to his knees.

“It really filled up the house,” he said.

The neighbors who reported the fire were able to reach the homeowners on the phone, who confirmed with them that there were no people or animals home at the time.

With that, the fire switched from a potential life-saving rescue call to a defensive call as they worked to contain the flames.

Additional firefighters from Cicero, South Bay, Mattydale and North Syracuse arrived soon after and were able to knock the fire down in a few minutes.

The fire was contained to the kitchen, though the entire home sustained heavy smoke damage. A code enforcement officer was at the scene to assess the structural integrity of the home.

Along with the fire departments, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, NAVAC ambulance, National Grid, Cicero police and the American Red Cross responded to the scene.

Barrett credited the neighbors for quickly calling 9-1-1 and reaching the homeowners on the phone so that firefighters wouldn’t have to search the entire home, which can potentially be dangerous.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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