Camillus, NY — At the height of Sunday night’s thunderstorm, a house in Camillus burst into flames and sent 80 firefighters rushing to the scene.
Camillus Fire Chief Jim McBride said he was relieved to find the family outside of 2788 Lyons Road when he arrived within minutes after fire was reported at 11:13 p.m.
But the chief had to order them off the driveway as live wires fell to the ground. Then the nearest hydrant was clogged with stones, causing a 7-minute delay in getting water to the fire, McBride said. Eventually, two cars caught fire too.
Fire engines had to race through darkened roads in a downpour to reach the fire. And the heat was still extreme, the chief said.
The fire was concentrated in the garage area, and minor explosions could be heard, McBride said. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused those explosions, the chief said.
All told, firefighters from 10 departments responded, McBride said. It took about half an hour to extinguish the fire. Firefighters were there for hours longer.
But McBride was pleased that no one was injured and the house may be salvageable. The family was getting aid from the Red Cross and was staying with relatives, the chief said.
Fire investigators are back at the scene Monday, attempting to determine the cause of the blaze. While too early to say for sure, McBride said they are focusing on a possible electrical problem.
Marcellus Fire Department, which responded to the fire, posted pictures of the blaze on its Facebook page.
Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at [email protected] or (315) 470-6070.
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